Bloom Childcare & Coworking - 52 Upper Montclair Plaza

Exceptional! We are so grateful for the thoughtful care our daughter received at Bloom and for the wonderful community we had the opportunity to join.

Writing this review as our 3 years at bloom sadly come to a close due to starting preschool. We have been so blessed to call bloom our second home for the past 3 years. The warmth and love from each teacher was felt immediately. As an anxious first time mom, I discovered bloom and never looked back. Our daughter started at 8 months old and continued until almost 4 years old. She developed beautiful connections with each teacher at bloom, and they helped her truly become the wonderful and kind child she is today. She learned to navigate friendships with peers and find trust in adults outside the home while receiving high-quality care. From thoughtful home-cooked meals to individualized care and nature exploration, bloom is everything that I sought in a daycare. The flexible scheduling and seasonal offerings also made it very easy to navigate ever-changing jobs and schedules, while the coworking space afforded me some much-needed camaraderie on the hard (or even just boring) days as a remote employee.

My son attended Bloom for six months, and unfortunately we didn't have the same positive experience that many other families seem to have had. This was our first daycare experience, and we truly hoped it would be a positive one. What attracted us was the location next to the park, the small class sizes, and the belief that our son would be well cared for by people who genuinely cared about children. As a work-from-home mom, the co-working space was a nice bonus, but it was never the reason we chose Bloom. Unfortunately, it turned out to be quite different from what we had imagined. Every day our son came home exhausted and hungry. He was only three years old and still needed an afternoon nap. Because the morning session was full, the only option available was the 1–5 p.m. shift, which does not include a nap. Looking back, I don't think that schedule is appropriate for many children of that age who still need rest, especially in a stimulating social environment. It made us question whether the children's developmental needs were truly being put first. One thing that also stood out to us was the lack of proactive communication about our son's wellbeing. During the six months he attended Bloom, the director never reached out to ask how he was adjusting, to share observations about his day, or simply to check in. The only times we were contacted were when there had been an accident or another issue that required notifying us. It left us feeling that communication was driven more by protocol than by genuine care. When the holidays came, we were also surprised to learn that the daycare would be closed for an entire week between Christmas and New Year's, even though tuition remained the same. As working parents who rely on childcare, this came as an unexpected surprise. Bloom is beautifully designed and has an innovative concept, but in our experience, the business and co-working side often seemed to take precedence over the childcare side. We left wishing there had been more heart behind the operation. After leaving Bloom, we realized what had been missing for us all along. A great daycare isn't just organized or beautifully designed—it has heart. You can feel it in the way the director knows every child, notices the little things, checks in with parents, and makes decisions with the children's wellbeing at the center. Throughout our six months at Bloom, we never quite found that feeling. Ultimately, that was the reason we decided to leave.

The Lucas family loves Bloom . Amanda and everyone at Bloom is amazing. Our son looks forward to seeing his teachers and friends. ❤️

Our family absolutely loves Bloom! This is our first experience with our 3yr old with childcare out of the home and every single teacher makes her feel safe and welcome to be herself. As parents we never have a worry sending her off to “school”. Bloom utilizes a Montessori style of teaching. They also provide breakfast and lunch with tuition, which is a plus as a parent not having to think about what to pack from home. A great choice for any family considering a childcare for their kid(s).