Gingerbread Learning Center

I am still in shock as I write this. On May 7, 2026, I visited the daycare for the first time to pick up my sister. For context, my sister is of mixed race—half Black and half White—while I am fully Black. I rang the doorbell, but the individual who opened the door did not greet me. Before I could speak, the teacher present came outside and said, “You don’t even have to tell me who you’re here for; she has your face.” I initially thought she was referring to my sister, so I smiled. I followed her to the classroom, meanwhile this was my first visit to this daycare. I chose to wait outside the classroom to respect everyone’s privacy. When she returned, she returned with an African American baby and she attempted to hand that child to me. I was shocked, as I had never experienced anything like this before. Normally, I am inclined to speak up, but as this was my first time in this setting, I was unsure of how to respond. I politely stated, “I’m sorry, but I am here to pick up my sister,” and clarified who my sister was. She would’ve known who I was there for if she asked but instead she didn’t and tried to give me someone else child. She then re-entered the classroom, and I continued to wait outside the door . Later, she returned and told me I could come into the classroom. While I was waiting to pick up my sister, I overheard the teacher mention that it was the child's first day here at this daycare, which makes the situation even more troubling. It seemed as if the intention was to hand over the child to any Black woman who arrived at the door that looked like the baby’s mother. I end up showing my ID to a staff member, who then allowed me to retrieve my sister and leave. I did not receive any apology or explanation about the initial incident. I left feeling shocked and felt I had experienced racial profiling. Additionally, I am concerned for the child involved, as I believe that, had I been someone with malicious intent, I could have taken that child without providing any identification. My purpose in sharing this is to raise awareness about the concerning practices at this daycare and to highlight the racial profiling I experienced. Such behavior is dangerous and irresponsible and should not be tolerated. I did not catch the teacher’s name, but she had brown hair in a ponytail, was Caucasian, and approximately 5’4” to 5’7” tall. I shared this information with my sister’s mother, who works at the daycare but was not present yesterday. Overall, I wanted to share my experience to inform others about the potential risks and unfair treatment encountered at this daycare.

This daycare is okay if you live in the area and are simply looking for a place to send your child. However, I wanted to share my honest experience to help other parents make an informed decision. First, as mentioned in other reviews, there is definitely an odor in the building that I noticed from the start. The most concerning thing about this facility is the security. There is a code for the door but literally anyone and everyone has access to come in and out of the building. Initially, I thought the daycare was fine, but over time my concerns grew, and I ultimately decided to withdraw my daughter due to what I felt was a lack of professionalism. I enrolled her in another facility that was similarly priced but was more organized and professional. While their prices are competitive for the area, as a parent who paid full fee without any subsidies, I expected a certain level of care and communication. At times, some staff caring for younger children seemed unfamiliar with policies or were unable to clearly explain situations when I asked specific questions….especially regarding unexplained marks on my daughter. I fully understand that accidents happen and that staff can’t witness every single moment, but as a parent, I expect transparent communication when I raise a concern. There were also instances where group messages were sent via the parent app with wording I found unprofessional, such as: “I love your kids but I love my own too and would like to see them on time, so please be mindful and pick up your kids on time.” While I understand the sentiment, I believe there are more professional ways to communicate these reminders or that the parents in question need to be spoken to directly. Those types of messages are inappropriate. More concerning to me were some of the photos I received. One showed my daughter eating dirt, literally captioned as such-which raised the obvious question: why take a photo rather than stop her? If my daughter would have gotten sick from that, I’m sure that very smart caretaker and/or gingerbread would have been happy to help cover any medical bills, correct? Another photo showed a group of toddlers eating lunch, with my daughter being the only one not wearing a shirt. When I inquired, I was told they were “about to put her shirt on,” but she was clearly already eating at the time. The final incident that led to my decision to withdraw her was when my daughter was bitten by fire ants while playing outside. When I asked what happened, I was told she had gone into a small playhouse known to have ant issues. My concern was why she wasn’t redirected away from a known hazard before the incident occurred. Separately, in a local online group, I saw a post where GLC was recommended as a place for teenagers to easily get hired and complete their required training hours. While this might work for some, it raised additional concerns for me, as it suggests they may hire individuals with little experience and provide only the basic state-required training. This is my overall sentiment about GLC - They literally hire anybody and that shouldn’t be the case when anyone’s child is involved. In summary, is this the worst daycare? No. If you’re looking for a basic daycare option, you may find them suitable. However, if you value higher standards in professionalism, communication, and attentiveness, I would personally not recommend this facility. I would strongly encourage any parent to thoroughly research a daycare facility and their associated inspection reports through the Florida Department of Children and Families before enrolling your children.

I really enjoyed sending my son jackson here the teacher was great! The food program is really good! And I liked the environment their hours are perfect and they throw really cute events together for the kids which are fun!

In April 2020 (hey Covid), I had 3 children start here (11wks, 3 & 4). My youngest one still attends and is currently in VPK here. She absolutely loves her school and staff and every single one of them adore her. The school-agers always have fun field trips on school breaks. The center does an adorable fall festival in the fall (including a cute mini pumpkin patch). Those are just a couple of the events on top of their adorable holiday arts & crafts for all the holidays. I feel it is on the higher end of the price side, but the fact I’m comfortable leaving my little one with these ladies with zero doubt in my mind she’s cared well for is worth it. Not to mention, their hours are absolutely superb coming from someone in healthcare who needs to be to work as early as 5:30am sometimes. The staff, for the most part, is more like a tight-knit family and you can definitely tell in their work-flow. No live camera access like some facilities, but they do a great job keeping you in the loop via the app with pictures, videos, meal reports, etc. I can freely communicate with my daughter’s teachers, as well as the management/office staff. We are definitely thankful for our Gingerbread family.