I must be the missing link based on other reviews, but my experience here was a mixed bag. I brought my daughter there from the age of 4.5 monrhs to 8.5 months.
On the upshot:
- The director was always available to talk through ideas and concerns
- There is a low turnover rate for the teachers
- The baby: teacher ratio is fantastic, at around 3:1, sometimes 4:1
- There are many loving teachers there who clearly take the time to know the babies personally and my daughter adored them
- The teachers did sweet art projects with the babies
- The teachers had a strong understanding of breast milk storage and handling
- Open door policy so i was able to visit at lunch and called each day to see when a good time to visit the baby would be, but could come by at any time on any day
- flexibility with part-time through full-time days which was tremendously helpful
- video camera helpful to check in during the day
Cons:
The challenges I ran into were operational (Vs. personal) and related to training and policies:
- the first day I arrived, my daughter did not have a crib assigned and I made her her own sign
- no one told me that i was supposed to sign my daughter in/out each day until three weeks in when i noticed another parent doing this and began to do so
- limited understanding of basic crib safety, as one time i found my daughter in her crib with a paci and strap attached to it and the strap around her neck with spit up all over her, finding a blanket in her crib after this incident and after making clear i wanted nothing in her crib (and seeing blankets in other cribs), and learning that one time they put her in her crib in a boppy on a blanket when i asked them to keep her elevated (i had thought that they'd let her nap on the boppy on the floor, did not think they'd actually put the whole boppy into the crib, which is out of sight of the teachers for the most part and knowing my daughter is a roller)
- no ability to open windows so limited fresh air
- being held off from a nap and a bottle despite calling and requesting that she get her nap when i noticed on the camera she had not yet slept, and having suggested to me that she sleep on a cot as she transitioned to the older infant room (an 8.5 month old who has only ever slept in a crib would suddenly be able to sleep on a cot??)
- my feeling was that many babies were left to cry too long - perhaps that is just the nature of daycare, but i often found myself observing babies crying and no one interacting or acknowledging the babies while they dealt with other children - at a ratio as good as 3:1, i have to believe there were better ways to deal with this (this was not always, but definitely happened a good amount)
- cribs are a smaller size so crib sheets often too large and loose
- the owner was well intentioned but i think often attempted to appease vs. really think through strategic solutions or change based on best practice; she one time referred to me as "safety mom" which i took particular offense to.
All in all, I think this is a place that is conveniently located, good-intentioned, and built around family principles and values/mom and pop shop (no computers, everything hand written etc). My daughter was really happy here. However, with that down home feel comes a lack of adherence to some critical policies and protocols (at least to me) and i found myself watching the video with my heart pounding some days. We ended up taking our daughter out after a day in which she was placed into the older room where she had been in the process of transitioning, not being given her bottle or nap on schedule despite talking on the phone and requesting this twice, and having the cot offered to her as a nap option.
I am sad because I enjoyed the people very much and my daughter loved them, but the stress and worry for me over some basic things was just too much. read more