My two and a half year old daughter has been attending Common Ground since she was 16 weeks old. I can say with confidence that choosing Common Ground was one of the wisest early parenting decisions we made.

While frequent teacher and director turnover is common in childcare centers, over half of the teachers have been at Common Ground for more than 10 years and at least 25% of those have been there at least 15-20 years. At least three teachers have been there 25+ years and the Center has been serving "all segments of the community" in Reston for 40 years as of 2012.

As a parent, I appreciate the gentle, experienced approach of the teachers, as well as the genuine interest that all of the teachers take in my child. Each teacher teaches the children to respect themselves, their peers, and their teachers because of who they are and to embrace their differences. There is a clear sense of embracing diversity and social justice, which is important to me, because it reflects the values I want to instill in my young child.

When I first returned to work after my maternity leave, a colleague gave me the sage advice that, when you have confidence in your child care, it's easy to return to the job you love. She was absolutely right. And I'm glad to say that Common Ground made it easy for me to return to that job. Not only have the caregivers been fantastic, but they have been respectful of my wishes as a breastfeeding/pumping mother and then as the mother of a child with allergies.

Common Ground is a good place and I'm glad we found it. As my child grows older and has different teachers and experiences, my decision is only reinforced.