Ranked in the top 100 statewide across all North Carolina licensed childcare centers scored in our 2026 rankings.
#1 in Winston-Salem
Ranked #1 overall across all 11 quality dimensions among every licensed childcare center in Winston-Salem. This is the highest recognition we award in the city.
Best Safety
Earned the highest safety score in Winston-Salem. This dimension evaluates facility maintenance, staff-to-child ratios, emergency preparedness, and parent-reported safety perceptions.
Best Curriculum
Earned the highest curriculum score in Winston-Salem. This dimension evaluates structured learning, developmental programming, and how well daily activities prepare children for each stage.
Best Arts & Enrichment
Earned the highest arts score in Winston-Salem. This dimension captures music, visual arts, creative play, and enrichment programming that goes beyond core academics.
Best Infant Care
Earned the highest infant care score in Winston-Salem. This dimension focuses on caregiver ratios, responsiveness, feeding and sleep routines, and parent feedback specific to infant rooms.
Best Kindergarten Prep
Earned the highest kindergarten readiness score in Winston-Salem. This dimension measures literacy, numeracy, and social-emotional skill-building that prepares children for elementary school.
Best Teacher Quality
Earned the highest teacher quality score in Winston-Salem. This dimension reflects educator credentials, tenure, consistency, and the depth of praise parents direct at specific staff members.
Most Compassionate
Earned the highest compassion score in Winston-Salem. This dimension captures warmth, emotional attunement, and the degree to which parents feel their child is genuinely loved and seen.
Best Management
Earned the highest management score in Winston-Salem. This dimension reflects director responsiveness, operational consistency, communication quality, and how problems are handled.
Best Culture
Earned the highest culture score in Winston-Salem. This dimension captures a sense of community, inclusivity, staff morale, and the feeling families describe when they walk through the door.
Best Space & Comfort
Earned the highest space and comfort score in Winston-Salem. This dimension reflects classroom size, outdoor play areas, and whether parents feel the center is appropriately staffed and uncrowded.
Best Extras
Earned the highest extras score in Winston-Salem. This dimension captures standout features — specialty programs, extended hours, unique amenities, or community partnerships that set a center apart.
KinderCare at Wake Forest University opened in fall 2024 on the university's Reynolds Boulevard campus in northeast Winston-Salem and rapidly earned NC's top 5-star quality rating. The modern facility serves children from 6 weeks through pre-kindergarten, with small class sizes that allow unusually individualized teacher attention. Early parent reviews are uniformly enthusiastic, highlighting staff warmth, administrative responsiveness, and the nurturing environment — making this a standout new option for Forsyth County families.
Safety9.0
Curriculum9.0
Art / Music8.0
Infant care9.0
Kindergarten readiness9.0
Teacher quality9.0
Compassion9.0
Management9.0
Culture9.0
Class sizes9.0
Extracurriculars8.0
What parents say
“The KinderCare at Wake Forest has been amazing for our family. The staff is incredibly friendly and I feel like I know all of the teachers, not just the ones in my daughter's class. Yshekia, Liz and all of the administrative staff are very present at the center and responsive to questions, requests, and concerns. Currently, the class sizes are small, allowing for more individualized care.”
“The staff and teachers at KinderCare are incredible! We have had such an incredible experience with both of our children.”
Programs & curriculum
Curriculum & approach: Research-based curriculum focused on kindergarten readiness and Confidence for Life, emphasizing hands-on learning, play, exploration, and social-emotional development across all age groups.
Programs & activities: Age-specific classrooms from infants through pre-K with daily science experiments, art, pretend play, literacy, and Spanish instruction. Learning Adventures Enrichment Programs offered; two snacks provided daily, families pack lunch; full-time only.
What sets it apart: Most accredited child care provider in America and Gallup Exceptional Workplace Award winner since 2017. Hours 7:30 AM-5:30 PM Mon-Fri; mobile app for parent updates; rigorous background checks and Gallup Talent Assessment for staff; tuition assistance options available.
Recognition of Excellence — Website Badge
🏆 For Center Directors
Your center has earned independent recognition based on verified parent reviews. You are welcome to display this badge on your website. Paste the snippet below into your site's HTML — it links back to this verified recognition page.
Top 100 in NC
<!-- Recognition of Excellence: KinderCare at Wake Forest University -->
<a href="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/north-carolina/triad/winston-salem/kindercare-at-wake-forest-university/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" style="display:flex;align-items:flex-start;gap:16px;padding:18px;background:#FFFBF0;border:1px solid #EDD97A;border-radius:10px;max-width:420px;text-decoration:none;color:inherit;font-family:-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,'Segoe UI',Roboto,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;">
<img src="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/badges/rank-100-state.jpg" alt="Top 100 in NC - KinderCare at Wake Forest University - Winston-Salem, NC" width="80" height="80" style="border-radius:8px;flex-shrink:0;" loading="lazy">
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<strong style="display:block;font-size:15px;color:#1A1A18;margin-bottom:5px;">Top 100 in NC</strong>
<span style="font-size:13px;color:#4A4A46;line-height:1.5;">Ranked in the top 100 statewide across all North Carolina licensed childcare centers scored in our 2026 rankings.</span>
</span>
</a>
#1 in Winston-Salem
<!-- Recognition of Excellence: KinderCare at Wake Forest University -->
<a href="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/north-carolina/triad/winston-salem/kindercare-at-wake-forest-university/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" style="display:flex;align-items:flex-start;gap:16px;padding:18px;background:#FFFBF0;border:1px solid #EDD97A;border-radius:10px;max-width:420px;text-decoration:none;color:inherit;font-family:-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,'Segoe UI',Roboto,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;">
<img src="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/badges/rank-1-city.jpg" alt="#1 in Winston-Salem - KinderCare at Wake Forest University - Winston-Salem, NC" width="80" height="80" style="border-radius:8px;flex-shrink:0;" loading="lazy">
<span>
<strong style="display:block;font-size:15px;color:#1A1A18;margin-bottom:5px;">#1 in Winston-Salem</strong>
<span style="font-size:13px;color:#4A4A46;line-height:1.5;">Ranked #1 overall across all 11 quality dimensions among every licensed childcare center in Winston-Salem. This is the highest recognition we award in the city.</span>
</span>
</a>
Best Safety
<!-- Recognition of Excellence: KinderCare at Wake Forest University -->
<a href="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/north-carolina/triad/winston-salem/kindercare-at-wake-forest-university/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" style="display:flex;align-items:flex-start;gap:16px;padding:18px;background:#FFFBF0;border:1px solid #EDD97A;border-radius:10px;max-width:420px;text-decoration:none;color:inherit;font-family:-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,'Segoe UI',Roboto,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;">
<img src="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/badges/dim-safety.jpg" alt="Best Safety - KinderCare at Wake Forest University - Winston-Salem, NC" width="80" height="80" style="border-radius:8px;flex-shrink:0;" loading="lazy">
<span>
<strong style="display:block;font-size:15px;color:#1A1A18;margin-bottom:5px;">Best Safety</strong>
<span style="font-size:13px;color:#4A4A46;line-height:1.5;">Earned the highest safety score in Winston-Salem. This dimension evaluates facility maintenance, staff-to-child ratios, emergency preparedness, and parent-reported safety perceptions.</span>
</span>
</a>
Best Curriculum
<!-- Recognition of Excellence: KinderCare at Wake Forest University -->
<a href="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/north-carolina/triad/winston-salem/kindercare-at-wake-forest-university/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" style="display:flex;align-items:flex-start;gap:16px;padding:18px;background:#FFFBF0;border:1px solid #EDD97A;border-radius:10px;max-width:420px;text-decoration:none;color:inherit;font-family:-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,'Segoe UI',Roboto,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;">
<img src="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/badges/dim-curriculum.jpg" alt="Best Curriculum - KinderCare at Wake Forest University - Winston-Salem, NC" width="80" height="80" style="border-radius:8px;flex-shrink:0;" loading="lazy">
<span>
<strong style="display:block;font-size:15px;color:#1A1A18;margin-bottom:5px;">Best Curriculum</strong>
<span style="font-size:13px;color:#4A4A46;line-height:1.5;">Earned the highest curriculum score in Winston-Salem. This dimension evaluates structured learning, developmental programming, and how well daily activities prepare children for each stage.</span>
</span>
</a>
Best Arts & Enrichment
<!-- Recognition of Excellence: KinderCare at Wake Forest University -->
<a href="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/north-carolina/triad/winston-salem/kindercare-at-wake-forest-university/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" style="display:flex;align-items:flex-start;gap:16px;padding:18px;background:#FFFBF0;border:1px solid #EDD97A;border-radius:10px;max-width:420px;text-decoration:none;color:inherit;font-family:-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,'Segoe UI',Roboto,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;">
<img src="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/badges/dim-arts.jpg" alt="Best Arts & Enrichment - KinderCare at Wake Forest University - Winston-Salem, NC" width="80" height="80" style="border-radius:8px;flex-shrink:0;" loading="lazy">
<span>
<strong style="display:block;font-size:15px;color:#1A1A18;margin-bottom:5px;">Best Arts & Enrichment</strong>
<span style="font-size:13px;color:#4A4A46;line-height:1.5;">Earned the highest arts score in Winston-Salem. This dimension captures music, visual arts, creative play, and enrichment programming that goes beyond core academics.</span>
</span>
</a>
Best Infant Care
<!-- Recognition of Excellence: KinderCare at Wake Forest University -->
<a href="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/north-carolina/triad/winston-salem/kindercare-at-wake-forest-university/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" style="display:flex;align-items:flex-start;gap:16px;padding:18px;background:#FFFBF0;border:1px solid #EDD97A;border-radius:10px;max-width:420px;text-decoration:none;color:inherit;font-family:-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,'Segoe UI',Roboto,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;">
<img src="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/badges/dim-infant.jpg" alt="Best Infant Care - KinderCare at Wake Forest University - Winston-Salem, NC" width="80" height="80" style="border-radius:8px;flex-shrink:0;" loading="lazy">
<span>
<strong style="display:block;font-size:15px;color:#1A1A18;margin-bottom:5px;">Best Infant Care</strong>
<span style="font-size:13px;color:#4A4A46;line-height:1.5;">Earned the highest infant care score in Winston-Salem. This dimension focuses on caregiver ratios, responsiveness, feeding and sleep routines, and parent feedback specific to infant rooms.</span>
</span>
</a>
Best Kindergarten Prep
<!-- Recognition of Excellence: KinderCare at Wake Forest University -->
<a href="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/north-carolina/triad/winston-salem/kindercare-at-wake-forest-university/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" style="display:flex;align-items:flex-start;gap:16px;padding:18px;background:#FFFBF0;border:1px solid #EDD97A;border-radius:10px;max-width:420px;text-decoration:none;color:inherit;font-family:-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,'Segoe UI',Roboto,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;">
<img src="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/badges/dim-kinder.jpg" alt="Best Kindergarten Prep - KinderCare at Wake Forest University - Winston-Salem, NC" width="80" height="80" style="border-radius:8px;flex-shrink:0;" loading="lazy">
<span>
<strong style="display:block;font-size:15px;color:#1A1A18;margin-bottom:5px;">Best Kindergarten Prep</strong>
<span style="font-size:13px;color:#4A4A46;line-height:1.5;">Earned the highest kindergarten readiness score in Winston-Salem. This dimension measures literacy, numeracy, and social-emotional skill-building that prepares children for elementary school.</span>
</span>
</a>
Best Teacher Quality
<!-- Recognition of Excellence: KinderCare at Wake Forest University -->
<a href="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/north-carolina/triad/winston-salem/kindercare-at-wake-forest-university/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" style="display:flex;align-items:flex-start;gap:16px;padding:18px;background:#FFFBF0;border:1px solid #EDD97A;border-radius:10px;max-width:420px;text-decoration:none;color:inherit;font-family:-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,'Segoe UI',Roboto,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;">
<img src="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/badges/dim-teacherq.jpg" alt="Best Teacher Quality - KinderCare at Wake Forest University - Winston-Salem, NC" width="80" height="80" style="border-radius:8px;flex-shrink:0;" loading="lazy">
<span>
<strong style="display:block;font-size:15px;color:#1A1A18;margin-bottom:5px;">Best Teacher Quality</strong>
<span style="font-size:13px;color:#4A4A46;line-height:1.5;">Earned the highest teacher quality score in Winston-Salem. This dimension reflects educator credentials, tenure, consistency, and the depth of praise parents direct at specific staff members.</span>
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Most Compassionate
<!-- Recognition of Excellence: KinderCare at Wake Forest University -->
<a href="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/north-carolina/triad/winston-salem/kindercare-at-wake-forest-university/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" style="display:flex;align-items:flex-start;gap:16px;padding:18px;background:#FFFBF0;border:1px solid #EDD97A;border-radius:10px;max-width:420px;text-decoration:none;color:inherit;font-family:-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,'Segoe UI',Roboto,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;">
<img src="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/badges/dim-compassion.jpg" alt="Most Compassionate - KinderCare at Wake Forest University - Winston-Salem, NC" width="80" height="80" style="border-radius:8px;flex-shrink:0;" loading="lazy">
<span>
<strong style="display:block;font-size:15px;color:#1A1A18;margin-bottom:5px;">Most Compassionate</strong>
<span style="font-size:13px;color:#4A4A46;line-height:1.5;">Earned the highest compassion score in Winston-Salem. This dimension captures warmth, emotional attunement, and the degree to which parents feel their child is genuinely loved and seen.</span>
</span>
</a>
Best Management
<!-- Recognition of Excellence: KinderCare at Wake Forest University -->
<a href="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/north-carolina/triad/winston-salem/kindercare-at-wake-forest-university/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" style="display:flex;align-items:flex-start;gap:16px;padding:18px;background:#FFFBF0;border:1px solid #EDD97A;border-radius:10px;max-width:420px;text-decoration:none;color:inherit;font-family:-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,'Segoe UI',Roboto,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;">
<img src="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/badges/dim-mgmt.jpg" alt="Best Management - KinderCare at Wake Forest University - Winston-Salem, NC" width="80" height="80" style="border-radius:8px;flex-shrink:0;" loading="lazy">
<span>
<strong style="display:block;font-size:15px;color:#1A1A18;margin-bottom:5px;">Best Management</strong>
<span style="font-size:13px;color:#4A4A46;line-height:1.5;">Earned the highest management score in Winston-Salem. This dimension reflects director responsiveness, operational consistency, communication quality, and how problems are handled.</span>
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Best Culture
<!-- Recognition of Excellence: KinderCare at Wake Forest University -->
<a href="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/north-carolina/triad/winston-salem/kindercare-at-wake-forest-university/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" style="display:flex;align-items:flex-start;gap:16px;padding:18px;background:#FFFBF0;border:1px solid #EDD97A;border-radius:10px;max-width:420px;text-decoration:none;color:inherit;font-family:-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,'Segoe UI',Roboto,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;">
<img src="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/badges/dim-culture.jpg" alt="Best Culture - KinderCare at Wake Forest University - Winston-Salem, NC" width="80" height="80" style="border-radius:8px;flex-shrink:0;" loading="lazy">
<span>
<strong style="display:block;font-size:15px;color:#1A1A18;margin-bottom:5px;">Best Culture</strong>
<span style="font-size:13px;color:#4A4A46;line-height:1.5;">Earned the highest culture score in Winston-Salem. This dimension captures a sense of community, inclusivity, staff morale, and the feeling families describe when they walk through the door.</span>
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Best Space & Comfort
<!-- Recognition of Excellence: KinderCare at Wake Forest University -->
<a href="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/north-carolina/triad/winston-salem/kindercare-at-wake-forest-university/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" style="display:flex;align-items:flex-start;gap:16px;padding:18px;background:#FFFBF0;border:1px solid #EDD97A;border-radius:10px;max-width:420px;text-decoration:none;color:inherit;font-family:-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,'Segoe UI',Roboto,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;">
<img src="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/badges/dim-crowding.jpg" alt="Best Space & Comfort - KinderCare at Wake Forest University - Winston-Salem, NC" width="80" height="80" style="border-radius:8px;flex-shrink:0;" loading="lazy">
<span>
<strong style="display:block;font-size:15px;color:#1A1A18;margin-bottom:5px;">Best Space & Comfort</strong>
<span style="font-size:13px;color:#4A4A46;line-height:1.5;">Earned the highest space and comfort score in Winston-Salem. This dimension reflects classroom size, outdoor play areas, and whether parents feel the center is appropriately staffed and uncrowded.</span>
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Best Extras
<!-- Recognition of Excellence: KinderCare at Wake Forest University -->
<a href="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/north-carolina/triad/winston-salem/kindercare-at-wake-forest-university/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" style="display:flex;align-items:flex-start;gap:16px;padding:18px;background:#FFFBF0;border:1px solid #EDD97A;border-radius:10px;max-width:420px;text-decoration:none;color:inherit;font-family:-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,'Segoe UI',Roboto,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;">
<img src="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/badges/dim-extra.jpg" alt="Best Extras - KinderCare at Wake Forest University - Winston-Salem, NC" width="80" height="80" style="border-radius:8px;flex-shrink:0;" loading="lazy">
<span>
<strong style="display:block;font-size:15px;color:#1A1A18;margin-bottom:5px;">Best Extras</strong>
<span style="font-size:13px;color:#4A4A46;line-height:1.5;">Earned the highest extras score in Winston-Salem. This dimension captures standout features — specialty programs, extended hours, unique amenities, or community partnerships that set a center apart.</span>
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This recognition is awarded independently by Creative Minds Montessori based on publicly available parent reviews and public records. Centers do not pay for or request these rankings. Scores reflect editorial synthesis of verified parent experience — not center marketing materials. Rankings are updated periodically as new reviews are analyzed.
