What Makes Us Special?

There are plenty of differences that set us apart from other old and new daycare centers in the area.

A program run by a psychotherapist/clinical social worker Clinical social workers are trained to develop a great sense of empathy. Through psychoanalytic training an individual has to not only undergo extensive supervision and child development training but also has to participate in their own therapy. This helps an individual to develop the ability to look past themselves in order to serve others.

How does this apply to childcare? This applies to childcare in the most crucial way. When we look at our own children most of us love them unconditionally. Whether they are crying or irritable as parents we have the empathy and sympathy to soothe them past difficult stages of their lives. When we see children that are not our own pass through these difficult stages it is difficult for us to do the same. Psychotherapists develop the ability to do this through their training. You want to know that your child will not only be looked after through happy and cheerful stages, but also through tough and difficult stages. Not just anyone can do this.

You want to know that if your child is experiencing an increased amount of anxiety due to being dropped off in daycare for the first time that the right behavioral methods will be used to help your child get through this stage. You also want a professional who can pick up any traces, forms or symptoms of developmental and psychological delays. You want a professional who can help you and give you the right guidance at home and in your personal life to help make the daycare experience more of a positive experience for your children. Teachers are trained in curriculum but do not possess the same in depth training or attributes in child development. If you go with a daycare professional that does not have this training, you are not giving the child the care that they need and deserve.

A program that is operated out of a first and second floor facility with 3 means of egress. Is your child spending their “Happy Days” in a basement? Programs run in basements below sidewalk level can be harmful in many ways. They are not convenient. The facility will not have the same quality of air and sunlight. You also run the risk of exposure to mold, insulated materials, furnace/boiler rooms, gas meters and or petroleum storage tanks. Our daycare is on the first floor. It has high ceilings, plenty of light and air circulation. Scientific research does exist that children and adults who spend time in well-lit and well-circulated environments fare better psychologically and physically. Most of you will have your children in daycare 6-10 hours a day, five days a week. In a first floor you also have less exposure to creepy crawlies such as water bugs and roaches which leave nasty droppings behind that can cause allergic reactions and asthma.

A program with good ratios Our program is unique because we have a 2:1 ratio for children up to 24 months, a 6:1 ratio for children 24 months to 3.9 years of age. Our UPK has 2 masters certified teachers plus a teacher assistant making our ratio 4:1. This is almost impossible to find elsewhere.

Classrooms that have room separations I have actually seen some daycare’s that are all one big room. What does this mean for your child? It means the inability to never experience quiet throughout the day. This can be very detrimental to your child’s health. Especially if there is a child who is sick or having a crying spell your daycare provider does not have the ability to separate the children. During nap time this can be disastrous. If your provider’s kitchen is in the same room, what will your provider do if the room smokes up from cooking especially in the winter when we have below freezing temperatures?

A daycare on tree lined street Unlike some other daycare facilities in the area, our program is on a beautiful tree lined street far away from any of the major highways and parkways. This means your children are breathing less vehicle emissions and soot.

A daycare that does not have carpeting Carpeting gets very dirty very fast and harbors allergens and dirt that can give you child an allergic reaction and asthma.

A daycare where each child has a crib or cot If your daycare provider has your children sleeping in the same bed or mattress, beware. This can lead to injury and cross contamination and can be dangerous to your child. You want your daycare to have plenty of cribs not just one. Multiple packs, plays and sleep swings, not just one of each.

Beware of new programs that have made their facilities look like ours and have stolen our mission statements. Providers who do not have the imagination to decorate and create their own facility and come up with their own mission statement do not have the talent and drive needed to run a daycare.

A play-based curriculum Our program is play based and promotes and advances our children’s curiosity and desire to learn without the stress of traditional didactic curriculum. We create curriculum that is fun and engages children authentically.

For your convenience, I have included a comparison checklist to help you when you are touring other facilities.