Ranked among the top 10 childcare centers in Westerville. Fewer than half of all centers in the city reach this level across our full 11-dimension scoring.
Best for Safety
Earned the highest safety score in Westerville. Our safety dimension weighs inspection history, deficiency records, and parent-reported safety culture across reviews.
Best Infant Care
Earned the highest infant care score in Westerville. This dimension focuses on caregiver ratios, responsiveness, feeding and sleep routines, and parent feedback specific to infant rooms.
Best Management
Earned the highest management score in Westerville. This dimension reflects director responsiveness, communication, operational consistency, and the overall tone families experience from leadership.
Best Culture
Earned the highest culture score in Westerville. This dimension captures a sense of community, inclusivity, staff morale, and the feeling families describe when they walk through the door.
Best Arts & Music
Earned the highest arts & music score in Westerville. This dimension reflects the depth and consistency of creative programming — visual arts, music, movement, and imaginative play.
Full Ranking Detail
childcare
The Nest Schools State is a center-based provider at 600 N. State St. in Westerville, Ohio, serving infants through pre-K children with a play-based curriculum grounded in current early childhood research. The program features enriched components including music, art (Paints & Pianos), fitness (Fit Buddies), and academic skill-building, alongside summer camp and before/after-school care for elementary schools in the district. Parent reviewers consistently praise the teachers as kind and patient, highlight the clean and professional environment, and note strong communication through a daily reporting app and conferences. Operating hours from 6:30 AM to 6:00 PM and meal provision support working families. The center holds SUTQ Bronze accreditation; compared to top-tier competitors with higher certification levels, this represents a meaningful gap worth considering.
Safety7.0
Curriculum7.0
Art / Music7.0
Infant care7.0
Kindergarten readiness6.0
Teacher quality7.0
Compassion7.0
Management7.0
Culture7.0
Extracurriculars7.0
Programs & curriculum
Curriculum & approach: Play-based "Nest Play Curriculum" that incorporates current research in early childhood development, aiming to help children love to learn. Program components include Home to School Connection, Fit Buddies, Paints and Pianos, and Art of Living.
Programs & activities: Age-based programs from infants through Pre-K plus School Age. Enrichment integrates music, art, fitness, and academic skill-building; offers summer camp and before/after-school care for Alcott, Annehurst, Cherrington, and Whittier Elementary Schools.
What sets it apart: Operating hours 6:30 AM-6:00 PM. Markets layered security measures, highly-trained teachers, outdoor learning spaces rich with natural elements, and parent communication via a daily reporting app, conferences, and newsletters.
Recognition of Excellence — Website Badge
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Top 10 in Westerville
<!-- Recognition of Excellence: The Nest Schools State -->
<a href="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/ohio/columbus/westerville/the-nest-schools-state/" 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;">
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<strong style="display:block;font-size:15px;color:#1A1A18;margin-bottom:5px;">Top 10 in Westerville</strong>
<span style="font-size:13px;color:#4A4A46;line-height:1.5;">Ranked among the top 10 childcare centers in Westerville. Fewer than half of all centers in the city reach this level across our full 11-dimension scoring.</span>
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</a>
Best for Safety
<!-- Recognition of Excellence: The Nest Schools State -->
<a href="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/ohio/columbus/westerville/the-nest-schools-state/" 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 for Safety - The Nest Schools State - Westerville, OH" 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 for Safety</strong>
<span style="font-size:13px;color:#4A4A46;line-height:1.5;">Earned the highest safety score in Westerville. Our safety dimension weighs inspection history, deficiency records, and parent-reported safety culture across reviews.</span>
</span>
</a>
Best Infant Care
<!-- Recognition of Excellence: The Nest Schools State -->
<a href="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/ohio/columbus/westerville/the-nest-schools-state/" 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 - The Nest Schools State - Westerville, OH" 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 Westerville. This dimension focuses on caregiver ratios, responsiveness, feeding and sleep routines, and parent feedback specific to infant rooms.</span>
</span>
</a>
Best Management
<!-- Recognition of Excellence: The Nest Schools State -->
<a href="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/ohio/columbus/westerville/the-nest-schools-state/" 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 - The Nest Schools State - Westerville, OH" 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 Westerville. This dimension reflects director responsiveness, communication, operational consistency, and the overall tone families experience from leadership.</span>
</span>
</a>
Best Culture
<!-- Recognition of Excellence: The Nest Schools State -->
<a href="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/ohio/columbus/westerville/the-nest-schools-state/" 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 - The Nest Schools State - Westerville, OH" 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 Westerville. This dimension captures a sense of community, inclusivity, staff morale, and the feeling families describe when they walk through the door.</span>
</span>
</a>
Best Arts & Music
<!-- Recognition of Excellence: The Nest Schools State -->
<a href="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/ohio/columbus/westerville/the-nest-schools-state/" 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 & Music - The Nest Schools State - Westerville, OH" 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 & Music</strong>
<span style="font-size:13px;color:#4A4A46;line-height:1.5;">Earned the highest arts & music score in Westerville. This dimension reflects the depth and consistency of creative programming — visual arts, music, movement, and imaginative play.</span>
</span>
</a>
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.
