




Sweet Briar Child Development Center 1
At a Glance
Trust Score
Based on comprehensive analysis of reviews, safety records, and operations.
About Sweet Briar Child Development Center 1
Sweet Briar Dual-Language Development Center
Established in 1961, Sweet Briar is South Austin's longest-standing dual-language center, maintaining a 4-star Texas Rising Star rating for over 30 years. Led by Director Maria Marquez, the program blends the research-based Frog Street curriculum with Conscious Discipline to support both cognitive and social-emotional growth. The facility features dedicated garden spaces, a safe outdoor playground, and a family-like atmosphere that emphasizes a warm, nurturing environment over a corporate feel. Children are nourished daily with fresh breakfast, lunch, and snacks prepared on-site by a dedicated cook. The bilingual environment integrates Spanish language exposure naturally throughout the day, ensuring students are prepared for an increasingly multilingual world. Partnering with Austin ISD for Pre-K classes, Sweet Briar offers a structured yet play-based foundation that has served multiple generations of Austin families with consistency and care in a clean, professional space.
What Parents Say
5 reviews from parents
I’ve had such a wonderful experience with this daycare. From the beginning, they’ve offered so many helpful resources for families, which made me feel supported and informed every step of the way. The center is always extremely clean, and I’ve never had any issues with my child getting sick while attending, which speaks volumes about their hygiene practices. The teachers are incredibly communicative and consistently go above and beyond. Any time there were concerns about academics or social development, they provided thoughtful ideas, guidance, and reassurance. I also really appreciate that they provide meals and share the monthly menu ahead of time, along with detailed lesson plans. Getting regular photos and updates made my days so much brighter and gave me peace of mind knowing what my child was learning and experiencing each day. Overall, this daycare has been a truly positive and reliable environment for my child, and I’m grateful for the care and attention they provide. Highly recommend! My child attended from the time he was one years old up until it was time to go to preschool, and it was a very hard transition to get him to go to school because of how well he thrived at his daycare and with the help of his teachers.
My son went to Sweet Briar from 2yrs old until he went to Kindergarten this year. He truly enjoyed going and loved all of his teachers. Ms. Maria, the center Director, is wonderful. She is responsive, caring, and very supportive. While all the teachers are great, my son especially loved Ms Jeanette, the Pre-K teacher. You can definitely tell that she cares about her kids. All in all, we had a wonderful experience! It’s always tough sending your kiddos away for the day and trust them in someone else’s hands, but we always felt comfortable and knew our son was well taken care of.
Hey I met Pat, yesterday the owner of this center and I told her I’m very happy with my child’s adjustment to being a part of the Sprouts class! My baby is so happy to attend this center! I can see why they’ve been a top rated quality provider of childcare.
We've been sending our son here for a few months and have had a great experience. His teacher, Mrs. Silvia, is so sweet and takes such good care of him. He's always happy to arrive and barely looks back at me when I drop him off. He's also happy and smiling when I pick him up. His language skills and walking have really taken off since he's been attending. The staff are very communicative and send us multiple pictures daily. They were also extremely accommodating to our family using cloth diapers. We are sad to be moving away because he loves it here so much.
*I’m leaving a review for the new or unsure moms & dads* When I first started looking for a daycare I had no idea where to put our infant. I saw brand new centers with hefty price tags and I never felt comfortable and couldn’t figure out why. It felt like we would pay an incredibly large sum for her to be just another number. But sweet Briar has a family atmosphere the second you walk in (it’s a charming little place). They made my daughter feel like part of their family, as well as us which is important to parents. They gave our daughter patience & grace..plus she had fun learning which is all any parent could ask for. I didn’t want her to feel like she was at a center but at *home* and that is exactly what this daycare and staff provide. They were great at communicating as I was often working and worried how she was doing. I saw her blossom and even start walking in the process. They are flexible to work with and I couldn’t recommend them more!
Web Report
Aggregated insights from public records & parent discussions
Safety Record
No major safety incidents, legal issues, or news-worthy concerns were found for this facility. State records indicate 21 deficiencies out of 4,117 standards evaluated over the last 60 months, with zero serious injuries or fatalities reported during this period. The center maintained a high compliance rate, including a January 2026 inspection where 646 of 652 standards were compliant.
Parent Reputation
Sweet Briar Child Development Center 1 holds a strong reputation as a long-standing, community-focused facility in South Austin, originally established in 1961. Parents consistently praise its dual-language Spanish immersion curriculum, the onsite chef who provides fresh meals, and the 'nurturing' environment. It has maintained a 4-star Texas Rising Star rating for over 30 years and is highly recommended on parent forums for its structured but play-based atmosphere.
Staff Insights
While no qualitative reviews from employees were found on major career platforms, state licensing records track annual staff turnover. Recent data shows that 4 employees left in 2025 and 5 in 2024, with significantly lower turnover of 1-2 employees in the preceding years (2021-2023). Parents frequently highlight the professionalism and experience of long-term teachers like Ms. Silvia.
