Stuart St
Charleston, SC 29403

As a concerned parent, I feel it’s necessary to share the experiences that many families, including my own, have had during the 2025 school year at Sanders-Clyde Head Start. This program is meant to support and guide our youngest learners—but unfortunately, it has not lived up to that promise.One of the most noticeable issues is the developmental regression in many of the children. I’ve seen kids who once spoke clearly now using baby talk. Instead of progressing, they’re going backwards —raising serious concerns about how well the environment supports their growth.Even more alarming are the repeated concerns about how children are being handled. I’ve seen and heard of teachers physically grabbing children by the arm and refusing to let go, then calling parents when a child reacts by biting. But no one asks the important question: What led to that behavior? Accountability should apply to staff as well—not just to the children. There’s also very little transparency with parents. For example, accidents happen far too often, and most are not documented or even mentioned at pickup. As parents, we deserve to know if our child fell, bumped their head, or had any kind of incident during the day. Not reporting these events is not only unacceptable—it’s unsafe.When it comes to food, what was promised at orientation and what’s actually served don’t match. We were told children would receive healthy food, juice, and snacks. Yet when asked, children say they only get milk and water. Much of the food includes ingredients like Red Dye 40, and meals such as bean-only quesadillas don’t provide the balanced nutrition growing kids need. Would you eat that yourself?Children are also starting to repeat phrases like, “I need something to calm me down” or “I can’t keep calm.” These are not things toddlers typically say on their own—they’re repeating what’s being said to them. This speaks to the stress and pressure they may be feeling in the classroom. We send our children to school hoping they’ll be treated with the same care and respect we would give them ourselves. I truly hope that in the new school year, Sanders-Clyde Head Start will take these concerns seriously and make meaningful changes. Please remember: these are toddlers. Be mindful of how you treat them. Your actions now will shape who they become. Next year Administration and teachers need weekly meeting to evaluate them, like they do our kids! Have a safe summer.