Our two kids went here for 2 years. It's great. Miss Rita is a constant and runs the ship. Several other caretakers have rotated through and they've all been great too. Miss Rita can pick 'em well. Our kids have learned, grown, socialized, and played a ton--exactly what they need.
When we first moved to town, we looked for daycare options in every prospective neighborhood, which is to say a lot. The yard at Strawberry Farm was the first indication this place is the best. It's a huge yard. There's a "car" area for driving, grass area, playhouses and slides, sometimes a bouncy house, sometimes a sprinkler, always a sun-protected sandbox. In the summer, there's a sun shade canopy over the kid-height picnic table and benches. There's a garden the kids help with. Inside is cozy. The whole downstairs is for kids--a quiet, dark nap room, another nap room for the youngest so they can sleep longer, a music room, cozy living room, a kitchen, and a bathroom with changing station/small toilets and sinks the kids can reach. The schedule is posted in the entrance hall. The kids have drawers and hanging pockets for delivering and picking up things.
More about sleep: Our oldest had just turned 3 and we were lucky there was a spot open. The little one was 1 and no spot. He went somewhere else that was...fine...he was safe and fed. However, maybe they never turned the lights off? or didn't have a quiet room? hard to imagine but he didn't nap. They said he wouldn't nap, which was nonsense. At pick up sometimes he was asleep literally on the floor of the main room. He'd sleep in the car/bike, pass out at home and barely revive for dinner. We had to move him ASAP. Once with Miss Rita, he napped perfectly fine without any trouble. Such a relief.
They have healthy food and snack every day. Lunch is prepared and the menu posted daily (I love that). They occasionally take fieldtrips to the library and a local Italian restaurant (and send along any leftovers). They have circle time and interactively enjoy story books every day. They learn manners, taking turns and polite language that has been very helpful to use at home.
Life is never always smooth and to help with that, Rita will always make time to discuss concerns and issues. We've talked to her when we wondered about our kids and she talked to us when there was something we could help with. That communication is important. read more