daycare Archives

You’ve made the decision.

You, and all of your child’s grownups (parents, grandparents, and others) are unavailable, by choice or necessity to dedicate to full time childcare.

Or perhaps you, a family member, or even a nanny or babysitter is caring for your child. Still, you want to give your child the gift of the learning and socialization available in quality daycare centers and preschools.

You are officially daycare shopping. What do you do to decide how to choose a daycare?

You’ll likely be looking at practical considerations, quality, and “right fit for you”. The list below may help you design a list of questions to ask when you call and visit programs. We are so happy to offer this guide to help as you determine how to choose a daycare that is right for your child and family.

Practical Considerations

Convenience

Do you need full Day, year round care?
Do you need a full day program, with hours extending beyond 9-5? Do you need flexibility? For example, do you need care every day of the week, or just certain days? Do you want a morning only program?
Find a Great Location near you.

Google daycare near me and see what comes up for you. Think about your commuting routine.

Affordability

Is the program within your price range?

Safety

Does the daycare’s COVID Health and Safety Protocol incorporate both the mandatory and recommended health and safety guidelines for childcare programs in New York State?Do they do so in a playful and non-stressful manner?

Can parents enter and have access to their children at any time with a secure entry system?
Are Classrooms and doors protected with video surveillance cameras? Are monitoring screens positioned in public places so that parents can observe their children without the child knowing?

Are staff trained in CPR, First Aid, and Medication Administration?

Quality

Are there highly skilled teachers and administrators?
Is there an effective curriculum for all divisions (infant, toddler, preschool) which is highly engaging for children, setting the foundations for success in Kindergarten and long term well-being?
Is Professional development provided for teachers?
Is nutritious food cooked on site and included or all children in the cost of tuition?
Is exercise a central component of children’s experience including a range of options, both organized by teachers and self-directed child activities?
Is Social Emotional Learning woven within the fabric of learning activities?
Are the facilities clean, spacious, and highly engaging for children?

“Right Fit” for You

Can the school clearly articulate their educational approach, and does it resonate for you? Do you feel enthusiastic about the experiences the program will provide for your child?
Is there an active parent community with opportunities for you to connect with the school, and other families, as much or as little as you would like?

We hope you find this guidance of value in your daycare search. If convenient, we invite you to check out Discovery Village. Located on White Plains Road, Discovery Village is very close to home for Tarrytown, Sleepy Hollow, Irvington, and Elmsford families. There is easy access to routes 119, 287, 87, and the Saw Mill River Parkway.

Have choices about daycare during pandemic left you with a range of emotions you can’t quite put into words?

Have you had the unusual sensation of being in a strange new world you never could have imagined?

As K-12 schools decide whether to serve students through remote, hybrid, or in person learning, many child care centers have remained open. In the early months of pandemic early childhood stood as an essential service for essential workers. Now, as summer shifts to fall and a new school year begins, many more families are returning.

Some have had children in daycare during pandemic, while others have recently returned. Some are considering returning, while others are quite certain they want their children to be cared for at home. Regardless of your choices, you may well be experiencing a wide range of emotions about sending your child to daycare during pandemic.

I invite you to check in on how you are feeling about your children leaving quarantine.

Like me, it may not be only how you are feeling, but who you are feeling like as we navigate this strange new reality we all face.

Providing daycare and learning throughout the pandemic, I’ve felt all of the above. It is as if overnight we have been transported to a new world, without ever having actually leaving home. Things are both different, and yet the same, as we have adjusted to our new reality. Through it all we have focused on implementing health protocols in a playful and non-stressful manner.

We have actively designed an environment that is safe and nurturing, creative and calm. We have designed a haven of hope and happiness in a world filled with challenge. Ultimately, we have supported one another and the children in our care to feel at ease, playful, and calm. While the world outside us continues to be full of challenges, at school we are caring for one another, playing, creating, and learning. We have found stability in a world of uncertainty.

The answer as to whether or not to place a child in care outside the home is, as it has always been, a highly personal one. What is right for one family is not right for another. Yet, childcare is designed with safety in mind. There are very small class sizes, a high level of supervision, attentiveness to hand washing and disinfecting, health checks and more. As a result, the choice to return, or to start childcare, nursery school or preschool, has been one that does make good sense for many.

If you are on the fence, wondering if the time is yet right to send your child back, you may be interested in Voices of Child Care. This documentary shares stories of child care centers in Westchester county New York that have been open through the pandemic. Discovery Village – children, teachers, and leadership – have been featured in several episodes.

I invite you to a glimpse into what the experience has been.

Voices of ChildCare Episode One

Voices of Child Care Episode Three

If you are interested in returning to, or starting childcare, I invite you to reach out. Schedule a visit – either virtual or live. See the children and teachers. See what learning and care looks like with COVID health and safety protocols. Ask to speak to some of our families who have been attending throughout the pandemic, or have recently returned or started.

To those of you who have been with us, we are grateful to be on this journey with you!

To those of you considering daycare, nursery school or preschool, we look forward to the possibility of meeting you!