The Afterschool Place

★Abby Monahan

Moms beware of the After-school Place in Bismarck! I wish I would have trusted my gut as I knew there was something off with the director Lorie from the start. My daughter has had issues with wetting her pants. We took her to the doctor and found out she has a swollen kidney and needed to see a specialist. I got a very rude and nasty call from Lorie this afternoon stating she doesn't know what to do with my daughter. I explained the situation with her and her response was "I don't know what you would like me to do about that" and then went on to tell me how she stinks, her backpack stinks, and all of the kids talk about her daily. (She gets a bath every single morning before school). She is also not having these issues at school like she is here. We also got less then 1 month notice that she is closing September 30th (thank god) but from my understanding it is temporary until they can find staff. I can only imagine why she can't find staff if she's treating them the same way she treats the kids and their parents. I recently read the Google reviews and wished I would have sooner! It seems to me Lorie places her issues on everyone else when clearly she is the problem when this many parents feel this way about her. If you do not have a picture perfect kid, this is NOT the place to send your child.

★Ericka Jorgenson

We used this place for a few months now. Everything was great while school was still in session. Once summer camp started there seemed to be some communication issues. Then when my child has to ask us why the director is so mean and why when the girls are doing bad things they don’t get in trouble but the boys do. Then she tries to tell us it’s okay for him to sit out of activities or even wash the floors if he isn’t listening. That just frustrated us. Then when tries to get information out of the director was us being ignored or blowing off our concerns. Especially when we decided to pull him from the program. Then she also had decided to charge us the supply fee for this coming school year without asking!! We never signed a contract for this coming school year. I do not recommend this place to anyone.

★★★★★Kila Szymanski

Reliable, safe and fun after school/grade school care Lori and her team provided my children with 8 years of amazing and unforgettable after school experiences and care. The Afterschool Place always holds the care and well being of your child as their top priority. Communication has consistently been top notch, open, and honest. My children were able to experience a multitude of fun but educational experiences (outside of the school setting), including: sledding, exploring different parks/playgrounds, BAGA trips, baking/cooking, science experiences, numerous art projects, pancake days, trips to the museum, movie production/acting/filming, cultural activities around the city, movie & popcorn Fridays…the list is extensive. And, they would not have been given these opportunities at other after school programs. When offered, we also attended a couple of the Summer programs, which also included the opportunity for swimming lessons. My oldest child has returned to TAP to work a Summer as a Junior Leader. We did note that several prior long term students return to TAP in this capacity at some point because they value their given experiences there and, although working, get to continue in the TAP awesomeness!

★★★★★Tara Berger

I LOVE The Afterschool Place! Highly recommend! You know you found the right place when you pick up your kids and they don't want to leave. My kids enjoyed the field trips, science experiments, art projects, pancake days, movie and popcorn days, and last but not least all of the fun surprises that Lori planned for them. Back when my kids were enrolled here, they were treated like family. My oldest is in HS now and is exited to be going back so she can work there because its such a good program.

★★★★★Nichole Fischer

HIGHLY RECOMMEND. Lori is warm and wonderful and absolutely amazing with the kids. I am disgusted by some of the lies in these negative reviews - I believe one parent was upset about the consequences of her child causing harm to another child and had her friends who have never even attended the Afterschool Place come here to write false reviews. You know the parents I am talking about - the ones who think their kids can do no wrong... Absolutely not ok - I have 2 children enrolled here. They have been there since kindergarten and will be there until they no longer need care. I can also see my kids wanting to return when they are older to help out or work there because it is such a wonderful place. There are currently employees who came back to work here after they were enrolled in the Afterschool Place in their elementary years - because this place is so good! The children are well taken care of, they learn many important life lessons, and a lot of hands on learning. They bake, do science projects, create crafts, learn, and go on outings and field trips all the time. Wednesday is pancake day and Fridays are popcorn and movie day. They get to enjoy sledding, have Lego lab, learn about the weather, learn about the community they live in, have swim lessons, STEAM, learn history, safety, have bubble performances, visit Papa's Pumpkin Patch, and enjoy the much anticipated yearly 'Troll hunt' (my kids can't stop talking about the magic of this day). They get to be active and have fun and just be kids. I have seen my children mature, become more responsible, and become better people from being at the Afterschool Place. They learn responsibility and patience and taking votes on activities and teamwork. They are always telling me stories about their adventures - even years later they still talk about the fun they had. The communication is absolutely top notch - there is a text line that informs parents what the kids will be doing every single day. If anything changes, communication is sent out. There is a parent pick up text line and email available, you can call, and there is a Facebook page as well. Lori has been available every single time I needed her via text or phone call - sacrificing her evenings and weekends. I have never ever had any issues trying to reach her. She is so in tune with the kids, if one of my children seem to be having an 'off' day, she notices and informs me just so I am aware - how many places would even notice? Lori does - she cares and gives her all for those kids. I can't express how incredibly grateful I am for her. With Covid and the sick season - the Afterschool Place goes to great lengths at keeping everyone healthy. They practiced social distancing when needed, using masks and keeping tables separated to minimize spread of germs - and the facility is kept extremely clean. And again referring to the false reviews - if your child continually breaks the rules and puts other children at risk, there are consequences. At the end of the day, Lori will protect the rest of the kids. I am grateful for that as well, I know my children are always safe and looked after and cared for. Bullying is absolutely not tolerated and I feel confident my children are treated with the best care possible.