Ranked among the top 10 childcare centers in Defiance. Fewer than half of all centers in the city reach this level across our full 11-dimension scoring.
Best Teachers
Earned the highest teacher quality score in Defiance. This dimension weighs staff tenure, qualifications, warmth reported in parent reviews, and consistency of care across classrooms.
Best Curriculum
Earned the highest curriculum score in Defiance. This dimension evaluates structured learning, developmental programming, and how well daily activities prepare children for each stage.
Best Management
Earned the highest management score in Defiance. This dimension reflects director responsiveness, communication, operational consistency, and the overall tone families experience from leadership.
Best Culture
Earned the highest culture score in Defiance. This dimension captures a sense of community, inclusivity, staff morale, and the feeling families describe when they walk through the door.
Full Ranking Detail
childcareSUTQ Gold
Close To Home School Age Program LLC is a school-age before/after care provider located at 950 Webster St in Defiance, Ohio, part of the award-winning Close To Home network. With over 15 years of service to the Defiance community, the program serves school-age children before and after school hours and accepts Ohio publicly funded childcare vouchers, expanding access for families who qualify. Staff members actively contribute to advisory boards at area colleges, reflecting deep ties to the local education community and professional development.
Safety5.0
Curriculum8.0
Art / Music5.0
Infant care5.0
Kindergarten readiness6.0
Teacher quality8.0
Compassion6.0
Management8.0
Culture6.0
Extracurriculars6.0
Recognition of Excellence — Website Badge
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Top 10 in Defiance
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Best Teachers
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Best Curriculum
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Best Management
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Best Culture
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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.
