First Flight CDC

This daycare/​school has been FANTASTIC! The teachers/​carers are so well trained. They know my son’s name (of course), they know my name, my wife’s name, even my mom’s name and dad’s name. Every teacher! And they treat the kids so well. My son spends the day there a few days a week and is literally sad to leave. He has great friends, great teachers who really do care and who really do take the time for each child.
I can’t say enough good things about this place.
Granted, there is a waiting list, but there should be for a such a place.
Look, there are a few things that parent’s should look out for in general when choosing a day care facility:
1) is it secure: Yes. This place not only requires you to enter thought a secure retracting gate (with you car) with a key card (upon which you enter a giant green grassy lawn which looks like so much fun for kids), but you also need your own electronic chipped keycard to enter the building.
2) teachers who know you: every teacher in this place… and I mean every one… knows my son. They know his likes, dislikes, allergies (but he has none), preferences for play time/​toys, eating time, sleeping time, etc., etc. It makes me think they study each child’s record… which is AWESOME. I feel so comfortable leaving him there.
3) does your child love it: Completely. He has great friends here. Pretty sure the little guy even has a «girlfriend» which is adorable. I like to think my wife and I provide a happy and fun environment for him at home, but he leaves this place seeming sad that he has to leave.
4) are the hours good: You can drop your child off as early as 6:15am and pick them up as late as 6pm. And for a nominal fee the hours can be extended.
5) do you, as a parent, feel good about it. Again, yes. Look, there are a lot of places that will watch your kids. I want mine here… and that says a lot to me. Here’s an example. They have a Summer program that’s included in the price (side note — the price is very reasonable) that includes everything from visits from the fire department to learn about what they do, visits from the zoo so the kids can see/​touch animals, walking visits to the local farmer’s market, visits from the circus who do face painting and many other things, and the list goes on (you can, of course, opt your child out of any of these).
6) do they listen to me: You want your child off binkies/​pacifiers? They’ll help… just tell them. Want your baby bottle fed at a very specific angle? No problem… just tell them. Or just let them hang out and let the teachers do their job, which they’re great at. I can’t go on enough here.
Anyway, as a new-​ish parent, who had a full time nanny for 10 months prior to First Flight, I see the HUGE benefits this place offers. Great kids. Great teachers. Great activities. Great other parents. Great facilities. Need I say more. Cheers, SHH (Westchester).

My child has been in this school since 7 month old. It’s a great school. It’s the best kept secret because it really is there to serve the LAX employees and tenants, so no advertising needed. I looked at 7 local schools before final selecting this one. It is by far the best school, for many reasons:
1. The facility is the state of art, designed for a child care center with the most complete equipment: washers, dryers, fridges, microwaves, phones, toilets, sinks in every class room. Lots of space for kids of all ages to play indoors and outdoors. The pace is very well kept, well lid, and clean.
2. There are surveillance cameras and keys to enter the facility. It’s patrolled by LAX police.
3. The school is operated under strict guidelines, so your child’s carers are under watchful eyes for their performance. There are different levels of family communications sheets for kids of ages. As they grow older, they require less detailed communications from school.
4. It has a great curriculum. As soon as the children are able to sit up, they are introduced to play, music and art. Teachers are diligent.
5. Diverse children, all well cared for.
6. This facility offers the best infant care. The care givers work with families’ schedule and provide food or needed care as specified to the T!
7. I learnt a lot from the teachers. They know how to teach, care, and correct the kids when needed. Kids change so much in the first years, its hard trying to work out what things they are capable of.
There are cons:
1. Right at the top range on tuition. As a community member, you pay a premium.
2. Pay extra for summer activities and music classes.
3. No personal favors because its a business.
4. Just like other preschool/​daycare– frequent change of personnel.
Comparatively speaking, its the best daycare that money can buy.