Children's Lighthouse of Cary-Parkside

We brought our son to Children’s Lighthouse when he wasn’t speaking as much as expected, and we were extremely nervous about transitioning him to a new school. He had struggled with separation anxiety at his previous center and would scream for hours for months.
From the moment he started here, the staff was incredibly patient, caring, and supportive. After a rough first day, he quickly became comfortable with his teachers and friends. Now, at just 2 years old, he’s counting to 20, learning his ABCs, and starting potty training!
As busy parents, it’s such a relief knowing he’s having fun while learning, playing, singing, and dancing with people who genuinely care about him.
They’ve also been incredibly flexible and supportive of our family, working with us through changes from full-time to part-time and back again when we needed extra help.
If you’re looking...

This place is great my daughter literally jumps into her teacher's arms every morning. She is always so excited to go. She has sooo much fun.

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We’ve had a wonderful experience at Lighthouse with both of our children. Our daughter and son each had excellent teachers—Ms. B and Ms. Stephenson—who made a lasting impact on them since leaving.

One thing we truly appreciated was the high expectations set for the kids. It’s easy to underestimate what children at this age can handle, but the structured approach, including homework and firm guidance, really helped them grow. Beyond academics, they developed strong social skills and learned the importance of empathy and politeness—qualities that matter far beyond the classroom.

We’re grateful for the role Lighthouse has played in shaping not just their learning, but their character.

Great support and daycare system

An amazing school. My son adjusted so well even though he is very clingy to me. The teachers welcome him in in every classroom he enters . They are very curriculum heavy which I love. His teachers Ms. Maddison and Ms. Makenzie get a special shout out for their hard work and attitude. Very nurturing and educated. Although change is inevitable in every industry, admin always keeps us update and does check ins on how my son is adjusting. I’m a helicopter mom but I trust this school and the staff. Infant teachers are also wonderful! Highly recommend.

Yesterday’s event for dads was really nice, and we’ve been happy to see so many positive changes around the daycare lately. Our son has always enjoyed coming to school, but we especially appreciate how invested his new teachers are in the curriculum and all the creative activities they plan. That focus on learning is a big reason we chose this center in the first place.

Our child comes home happy every day and that is the most important thing to us. We appreciate the welcoming environment and all the hard work the team puts in each day.

We are so grateful for this place. The staff is wonderful, and the center is very nice. Our toddler actually enjoys going to school now! They have a lot of fun and parents are supplied with plenty of pictures throughout the day.

My granddaughter loves going to school. I do a lot of the pickups, and most days she doesn’t want to leave. We appreciate everything her teachers do for the kids.

My son has been attending Children's Lighthouse for the past 10 months, and he absolutely loves it. Ms. Rachna and Ms. Samata have been wonderful teachers—kind, patient, and caring with the children. Their dedication creates a positive and nurturing environment, and we are very happy with our experience.

Ms. Stevenson was so comforting to my son during a difficult drop off moment ! Thank you for going out your way for my son!!

We love Children's Lighthouse Parkside. We have two kiddos there 5 months and almost 3. The staff cares and creates a fun, learning, playful environment for kids to thrive and explore.

Mrs. Angel and Heaven get a special shoutout for helping both of our kids excel in social and learning skills. They are calm, easy going, and natural with the kids.

Change is inevitable in any workforce, regardless of profession. The admin and teachers work incredibly hard to make sure all the kids are thriving and get creative opportunities to learn. We are very appreciative!

My kid has been at Children's Lighthouse of Cary for 2 months and loves the school and her teacher Mrs. Miya. There are a lot of fun activities happening throughout the year which keeps the kids excited and helps feed the curiosity of the young minds. We are especially grateful to Mrs. Miya for her kindness and patience. She provides a structure and encourages the kids to be independent. We see a noticeable growth in our daughter since she joined the school.

Pros:
They have camera in place!
The day care is clean compared to other daycares in the area!
My sons likes the place very much and he enjoys the painting sessions

Cons:
I see the teachers change and some times different teachers are assigned to same class!

We've had a great experience with Childrens Lighthouse of Cary. Staff are friendly, very communicative/responsive and our children loved the teachers and activities!

The staff here is amazing, so caring and attentive. I love how much they truly care for the kids and create a safe, happy environment. My daughter loves it, and I feel so grateful knowing she’s in such good hands. 💕

We transferred our 11-month-old to Children's Lighthouse West Cary after a very disappointing and concerning experience at a different center. Children's Lighthouse has been such a world of a difference! The administrators and teachers are so friendly, personable, communicative, child-focused, and responsive, and all know my son by name. I've been incredibly impressed by his teachers, Ms. Evie and Ms. Mary-Beth, and am especially grateful for all of the updates and photos that they send throughout the day. I appreciate how much they interact and engage with the children - inside and outside - and how much they help to foster learning and development, even for the littlest ones! It's clear that my son is not only very well-cared for and supported by his teachers but that he has a great time while at the center. I'm also very happy with the quality of the food and that it is conducive...

We waited a full year to post this review so we could truly speak to our entire experience — and it has been amazing.

We were very nervous at first, having to choose a daycare from out of state without seeing it in person. But when we finally got to tour, the office staff was incredibly friendly and helpful, answering all of our questions with care and patience.

We had both our 1-year-old and 5-year-old enrolled here, and both classrooms exceeded our expectations.

As parents who are extremely cautious about who watches our kids, the 24-hour cameras were a huge relief. It gave us peace of mind, especially during those early transition weeks.

Our 5-year-old was in a class with zero teacher turnover for the entire year — and that speaks volumes. Miss Misty is an absolute gem. She was endlessly patient with our son's separation anxiety...

Thank you for being such an important part of our daughter’s early years. She is learning, growing, and thriving thanks to your care. We’re especially grateful to Miss Misty for her kindness, patience, and the loving attention she gives every day. We truly appreciate the warm and supportive environment you provide.

We greatly appreciate Ms Stephenson , Ms Trinity , Ms Maya Ms LA and all the staff and teachers of West Cary Childlighthouse day school. Our son loves going to the school and Ms Stephenson and Ms Trinity of Room 9 ensure that when our son have meltdown in the morning and was crying before leaving him, they took care of him and ensure he will be ok. Being a working mom was hard to see our son cry when I am about to leave. Teachers like them who cares for their student gives me a peace of mind that our son will be ok.

We transferred here with our 5 month old almost a month ago after a fairly traumatic experience at another daycare center. It's like night and day! The Lighthouse staff are attentive, compassionate, and responsive. Every day we feel that our daughter is not only well taken care of, but having a great time! Her teachers Evie, Dyamon, and Mary-Beth see to her needs and give her space to grow and develop - plus they send us loads of photos! All 3 plus the admin team clearly love children. We are so happy to be here!

Friendly and caring staff and a fun place for kids.

The teachers are very kind and attentive to all the kids and have so many fun activities and themed things for them to do. My toddler loves Ms Precious and talks about her at home all the time (by name nonstop!). I appreciate all the fun things they arrange for the kids and get them to try and experience.

We have had a good experience with our infant. The hours are great for working parents. I feel confident dropping off my child that they are safe. Miss Evie and Dyamon take good care of our child.

Ms Miya is a great teacher, she’s kind & caring. Kids love her. Cheers!

I must say that this school has a great faculty. A lot of fun things happen throughout the year that keeps the kids excited to be a part of the community. Great Place, I even made a few friends myself. Ms. Stephenson, and Mrs. Miya are the best. Both have had a year with my child and I see a wonderful result

I cannot say enough about my son’s current teacher, Ms.Tynesha or Ms Ty as her students affectionately call her. She arrived at a time just when the class was becoming a bit chaotic. She brought structure, routine and joy to the class! Her balance of patience, care, and discipline was much needed! We appreciate Ms. Tynesha this week and every week! Happy Teacher Appreciation Week to her and all the wonderful teachers making a difference on a daily basis!

Hands-down one of the best schools in the area for younger kids!! My five year old (who is too young to matriculate at Wake County public schools) is in the Anchored Private Kindergarten class here and has grown so much. Mrs. Misty is a FANTASTIC teacher who is passionate and diligently works with each child individually to ensure kindergarten readiness. We feel so blessed to be a part of this community. What a rare find! We are grateful to all the staff here for their kindness and dedication to ensure a nurturing academic enviornment for our kids.

Hands-down one of the best schools in the area for younger kids!! My five year old (who is too young to matriculate at Wake County public schools) is in the Anchored Private Kindergarten class here and has grown so much. Mrs. Misty is a FANTASTIC teacher who is passionate and diligently works with each child individually to ensure kindergarten readiness. We feel so blessed to be a part of this community. What a rare find! We are grateful to all the staff here for their kindness and dedication to ensure a nurturing academic enviornment for our kids.