Little Years Day Care

My son has attended Little Years since he was six weeks old and I could not possibly be more pleased with the loving care and educationally stimulating environment Little Years has provided to him. I am a working mother whose company has only the state-mandated minimum ...maternity leave policy, so I was only able to take off six weeks after my son was born. Needless to say, I was terrified about the thought of leaving my infant child with someone other than myself. So I did what any mother in my position would do: I researched every childcare option under the sun and put potential providers under the microscope until I found one I could feel good about. Interestingly, I had originally been dead set on hiring a nanny, until I did more research and discovered that I could find more public information on day care centers than I could for individual nannies. For instance, the New York State registry of day cares lists which centers are registered, how many teachers they have, how many children, and whether they have had any infractions (and if so, what those infractions were). I couldn't find a comparable site for nannies, and didn't feel comfortable taking an agency's word as to the background, skills and reputation of their staff. So, I decided to explore day care centers further. After reviewing the NYS site, I narrowed my search down to a handful of places, and then went to each one's website. That led me to narrow my search down to two places: Little Years and Robin's Nest. Living in Tarrytown, both centers were reasonably close so my decision would be based on interviewing and observing the centers firsthand. Both centers were very professional and took my requests to interview them seriously. I was greeted courteously by both centers and both had strong security. Both had attractive facilities that were of course clean with no obvious health hazards. However, a few things set Little Years apart and made my decision very easy for me: 1) When speaking with Ms. Danielle, one of the owners of Little Years, I felt that she understood what an important and difficult decision this was for me. The way that she explained what a serious decision it was for parents to place their angels in her care and how that knowledge guides and informs everything they do at Little Years really struck me. 2) Like any parent of an infant, I was terrified of SIDS. One of my great fears with putting my child in daycare was that he would be left alone in a crib and no one would notice if he just stopped breathing. Not possible at Little Years. At Little Years, they assign one of the nursery staff to WATCH THE BABIES WHILE THEY SLEEP. I was so impressed by this, I could have hired them on this basis alone. 3) I felt that Little Years had more instructional programs, even starting from 6 weeks old. They are always playing appropriate music and reading to the babies, plus they teach the babies sign language. Now that my son is older (13 months) there are structured activities for the kids. Every day I get a report saying what he did, such as circle time or puzzles or coloring dinosaurs. Those reports make me feel like I know what he did all day and that I was somehow a part of it, which is something I know all working moms struggle with. Now, Little Years is such an important part of our lives we wouldn't think about moving away (despite my long commute) because it would mean pulling my son out of Little Years. Our son is so happy, and they do so many wonderful things to show that they value our trust and support of them. For example, every holiday, be it Valentines Day, Halloween, or Christmas they have a little present for the kids and for the parents. I will cherish the little handprint Christmas ornament and gingerbread figurine with my son's picture in it forever. If you are considering Little Years for your child, you will not be disappointed. I recommend it to every part I know. Read More