teacher's aide

registered nurse - pediatrics

special education teacher

speech language pathologist

office manager

Daystar Kids

Don't bother applying here.. the turnover rate is ridiculously high for good reasons. 

When I was hired, the director and the administrative staff made me feel like this was the best job i'd ever have. They really make you feel like you're a key part in the caring for these children.. but then the rose colored glasses come off. It's a total hot mess and I wish families knew what was behind closed doors. Classrooms were and continue to always be short staffed or other classrooms need assistance so you'd have to go help another class which resulted into your main classroom struggling. They don't have someone to properly clean the building; staff is required to take turns cleaning every day. This is something you would think would be important due to the condition of the children. 

The director specifically does not care about the children and families unless a camera is placed in front of her face. When the camera is on she is so concerned about the well being of the children, but behind closed doors she could care less. She is more focused on the money aspect of the job than the actual care of children and staff. If she really cared, she would show more appreciation toward her staff who really make her company standing. But then again, she is so quick to firing staff members for making simple mistakes that could easily be improved. I watched so many coworkers be let go for idiotic reasons. One person was let go because they requested a day off which was approved but then they took it back because they assigned a staff development day. Another was let go because she was in the hospital due to a car accident and she didn't call to inform them.. But my favorite is when a coworker of mine was being injured by a behavioral child (which you are not trained to handle behavioral children), she was fired because she was in a public area when it happened and if a 'big wig' came in and saw they wouldn't be pleased with a coworker yelling for help and could potentially take their funds away. 

These children need way more care than what they are getting. If staff members were treated with more respect and paid better for the amount of care they are given, you'd see an increase in patient care. It breaks my heart knowing families are so appreciative of knowing their children are being taken care of while they're working, but it breaks my heart knowing that the director of Daystar disrespects her employees. I know for a fact that a lot of them walk on egg shells and constantly think that one wrong move will get them fired. 

If you're considering working in a daycare, don't apply to Daystar. You will be treated far better at a different facility and be trained properly as well. One thing I realized when I left was that Daystar wore me down and made me one miserable person. Since then, I realized what it was like to be appreciated at a new employment. I think about those children all the time though, and I only hope that management switches or a better facility opens up for them to go to.

I wanted to believe that the reviews were dramatic because I fell in love with this place and its kids during my interview and through shadowing. They made me feel so valued at first.

Unfortunately, it didn’t take long for reality to set in. The communication between coworkers is limited and laden with heavy displays of passive aggression at every level. 

I can also confirm that the comments about admin being out of touch are right. This is made clear through how they react to employee concerns/criticisms and through how new policies are enacted and enforced. Admin makes drastic changes quickly and without consulting appropriate staff for input. They enforce these changes harshly, with rigorous inspections and sudden, multiple firings (almost always without warning) upon first breeches of new policies. 

I wanted to believe that this was all for quality improvement and the good of the kids, but it is truly performative at best. In my opinion, many of the changes admin makes look great on paper for insurance companies, parents, and the government yet harm quality of care and education.

In addition, employees are not treated well. In my experience, there are always strings attached when the benefits and high pay seem too good to be true. No matter your role, you are seen as easily replaceable. There is an unreal amount of TA & nurse turnover because admin would rather come down hard on any and every misstep than take the time to teach and create experienced staff. 

HR is also only staffed by one person who has been there less than a year. The HR role here is also more about keeping up appearances than advocating for employees or for building functionality. 

If you are in need of money and a new job look else where! Though the 20 an hour is enticing the reviews are not lying… 
Upon hiring things seemed great and you think you working in a good place until the the smoke clears and you find out what its really like behind closed doors. It’s nothing in comparison to what they “show” you and advertise. The employee turnover rate is unbelievable and unsettling. They promote a “team” environment when in reality there are only a few people that actually work hard and end up pulling the weight of their co workers with them in a cycle that repeats itself everyday. These type of conditions were very draining and led to a low work morale on top of poor management. The children were the best part of the job but unfortunately no amount money in the world would have made me stay. If you care about your health, livelihood, and well being I would run away from this place as fast as you can. It will take a huge toll mentally, emotionally, and physically. No one seems to care about you to make matters worse. You are just another expendable human being.  Instead everyone will smile fake and continue to hide the failing infrastructure behind the scenes. Sadly the children have no stability when it comes to staffing which affects the continuity of care. They never seemed have enough staff to care and supervise the children because you are always out of ratio at different parts of the day and people are quitting or getting fired without warning. Management is far removed and could care less about anybody working. Overall there wasn’t many true, genuine, or kind people at this establishment. They put on a good show here but eventually you will see peoples true colors. 

Working at Daystar Kids has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my career. The children are inspiring—so eager to learn, grow, and connect—and they continually motivate me to become a better therapist, teammate, and person.

Over the past three years, I’ve grown tremendously, both professionally and personally. Daystar offers unique opportunities for development and collaboration within a large, supportive interdisciplinary team.

While the organization has faced challenges in the past, a recent change in management has had a tremendously positive impact on our work culture. Leadership now truly listens, values feedback, and takes meaningful action—which has created a more supportive, collaborative, and empowering environment for both staff and the children we serve.

We are incredibly fortunate to have a center like Daystar Kids in our community, and I feel honored to have a front-row seat to the incredible progress and joy that happens here every day.


Their mission is great. The kids are fantastic. However all staff constantly talk about how they are in fear of losing their jobs. In 3 months, they fired at least 7 people; some of which gave their notice and then upper management decided one day before their last day to tell them not to bother coming back- that they were being terminated instead. Instead of staff looking out for each other and working as a team, it’s “every man for themselves” because “I don’t want to get fired too.” 
It’s just very disheartening how they treat their staff. They are treated just as a replaceable body filling a need. Instead of a person who is there because they care about what they are doing. There’s a reason they are losing their staff. I just hope one day they will finally see what they are doing is hurting their staff, hurting the kids and parents they serve, it’s hurting their dreams of growing the company. The kids may learn, thrive, and shine, but their staff do not. It’s very sad 

Everything you've read on Indeed about Daystar Kids reflects my experience. I initially believed this would be a long-term job, but I quickly realized otherwise. There is a disconnect between upper management and the daily work of staff who care for the children.

The board should focus on fostering a supportive environment, especially if they plan to expand. Leadership changes are essential for addressing the high turnover of staff and creating a positive culture that prioritizes communication and collaboration. The staff, who truly care for the children, are often stretched thin, which impacts the quality of care provided. Families should know that their children are valued and loved by the staff in the classrooms but are driven away by the administration's practices and maltreatment.

To fulfill its mission, Daystar Kids must reassess its leadership and values as soon as possible. Without significant changes, the organization will struggle to retain dedicated employees, which ultimately affects the well-being of the children it serves.

I came to work at Daystar Kids a year ago and I have learned so much. Daystar Kids is a unique organization that serves amazing children who overcome more in their first years than many people have to overcome in a lifetime, and I am proud to be a part if it. The work is demanding, but it has to be. This is not the place to work if you don't take your job seriously and believe in what you are doing. That said, management recognizes the need for time off and is also very generous with it. In addition to PTO, employees get 40 hours of sick time, a paid week off in December and August, and several other paid holidays. Salaries are competitive. Medical and dental insurance are offered. 

I have found most of the people here to be very friendly and genuinely caring about each other. There is a lot of teamwork here, both formal and informal. And at the end of the day, we are all here for these beautiful children.

What I witnessed and experienced during my time at Daystar Kids is unfathomable. The administration treats the employees there with a complete lack of dignity and respect. The operation is constantly short staffed which creates an enormous amount of stress, unhappiness and negative energy. There is very little to no communication and when there is it is demeaning and disrespectful. HR/Administration lies to the staff and ignores them when they bring it up. 
The kids are awesome! It is sad because they get the short end of the stick because of the lack of staff/qualified staff and the negative energy that surrounds them due to the culture there. They do not get there needs met in the ways they should. I hope they get better care in the future.

Daystar Kids is an amazing facility and mission to work for. There has been a change in management, culture and overall employee satisfaction in the last 6-12 months. Prior to this a lot of employees were not happy, which may explain previous reviews. Of course no job is perfect, but at Daystar Kids I feel valued, supported and encouraged to fulfill my professional goals and passions within my role. Management has taken my ideas with great respect and encourages me daily to carry out these ideas with thoughtful advising as needed. And don’t even get me started on the kiddos we work with everyday. They are truly such inspiring young children that make coming to work, even on the toughest days so worth it. 

Management could not be more far removed. They treat all employees like trash off the street with no regard for the ebb/flow for the day-to-day "in the trenches" work. The children are the only reason I stayed as long as I did. I just wish the families knew about the horrible culture their children are in each and every day. There is such great potential for a place like Daystar, but until current "leadership" changes, it will continue to be one of the darkest places for some of the brightest lights within our community. 

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Teacher's aide 1 salary reported	$22.50 per hour
Registered nurse - pediatrics 2 salaries reported	$37.00 per hour
Special education teacher 1 salary reported	$31.00 per hour
Speech language pathologist 1 salary reported	$70,720 per year
Office manager 1 salary reported	$70,000 per year

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