Ranked among the top 3 childcare centers in Blacklick across all 11 quality dimensions — placing this center in the very top tier of local options.
Best for Safety
Earned the highest safety score in Blacklick. Our safety dimension weighs inspection history, deficiency records, and parent-reported safety culture across reviews.
Most Compassionate
Earned the highest compassion score in Blacklick. This dimension captures how families describe staff empathy, how concerns are handled, and the emotional environment of the center.
Best Infant Care
Earned the highest infant care score in Blacklick. This dimension focuses on caregiver ratios, responsiveness, feeding and sleep routines, and parent feedback specific to infant rooms.
Best Extracurriculars
Earned the highest extracurricular score in Blacklick. This dimension covers enrichment programs — languages, STEM, yoga, cooking, field trips, and other activities beyond the core curriculum.
Full Ranking Detail
childcare
Eastgate Ela is a locally owned, community-centered academy with two locations in the Blacklick and Hilliard areas, serving children from 6 weeks through 12 years. Operating since 2010, the center aligns its curriculum with ODJFS Birth-5 Year standards using Teaching Strategies Gold Creative Curriculum, emphasizing play-based, hands-on learning with age-appropriate themed activities. It accepts publicly funded child care vouchers, making it accessible to subsidy-eligible families, and provides school transportation to several local districts. With a 2-Star SUTQ Rating and a family-centered operational model, Eastgate Ela prioritizes genuine community connection and staff recognition, though the absence of public parent reviews limits independent verification of family experience.
Safety5.0
Curriculum7.0
Art / Music5.0
Infant care7.0
Kindergarten readiness7.0
Teacher quality7.0
Compassion6.0
Management5.0
Culture5.0
Extracurriculars6.0
Programs & curriculum
Curriculum & approach: Aligns with ODJFS Birth-5 Year standards and incorporates Teaching Strategies Gold Creative Curriculum. Children learn best through hands-on, play-involved activities with age-appropriate activities based on provided themes.
Programs & activities: School transportation available to St. Matthew, Blacklick, Lincoln, Licking Heights, and Grace Christian schools.
What sets it apart: 2-Star SUTQ Rating as of June 2022. Family-centered community approach rather than corporate model. Operating since 2010. Staff recognition programs including team-building activities, potlucks, and birthday celebrations.
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 3 in Blacklick
<!-- Recognition of Excellence: Eastgate Ela -->
<a href="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/ohio/major-cities/blacklick/eastgate-ela/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">
<img src="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/badges/rank-3-city.jpg"
alt="Top 3 in Blacklick - Eastgate Ela - Blacklick, OH"
width="120" loading="lazy">
</a>
Best for Safety
<!-- Recognition of Excellence: Eastgate Ela -->
<a href="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/ohio/major-cities/blacklick/eastgate-ela/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">
<img src="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/badges/dim-safety.jpg"
alt="Best for Safety - Eastgate Ela - Blacklick, OH"
width="120" loading="lazy">
</a>
Most Compassionate
<!-- Recognition of Excellence: Eastgate Ela -->
<a href="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/ohio/major-cities/blacklick/eastgate-ela/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">
<img src="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/badges/dim-compassion.jpg"
alt="Most Compassionate - Eastgate Ela - Blacklick, OH"
width="120" loading="lazy">
</a>
Best Infant Care
<!-- Recognition of Excellence: Eastgate Ela -->
<a href="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/ohio/major-cities/blacklick/eastgate-ela/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">
<img src="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/badges/dim-infant.jpg"
alt="Best Infant Care - Eastgate Ela - Blacklick, OH"
width="120" loading="lazy">
</a>
Best Extracurriculars
<!-- Recognition of Excellence: Eastgate Ela -->
<a href="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/ohio/major-cities/blacklick/eastgate-ela/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">
<img src="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/badges/dim-extra.jpg"
alt="Best Extracurriculars - Eastgate Ela - Blacklick, OH"
width="120" loading="lazy">
</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.
