As a first time mom looking for childcare I was initially a bit overwhelmed. The idea of someone else being responsible for the safety and well-being of my child was terrifying enough, without even considering the cost or the multitude of options out there. I was lucky to find The Learning Experience in Hackensack, as they have been nothing short of wonderful. From my first visit I have been impressed with them. The facility is clean and welcoming, and you can tell they take security seriously. The classrooms are bright and colorful displaying art created by the children who attend, and housing a multitude of toys that aren't overstimulating but instead encourage creative play. A representative from the facility guided me through the building and explained thoroughly all of my options for my child's care, pricing, and the process of enrollment. As we toured the facility i could see each of the classrooms were staffed with multiple teachers providing a student to teacher ratio that made me feel comfortable to know that my daughter would get plenty of attention. They explained that they had their own kitchen where healthy meals would be prepared for the kids as part of their tuition. They provided sample menus, and explained my alternatives if my child had any allergies or specific preferences.
We enrolled my daughter, and given it was her first time in a daycare setting, she struggled to with the transition. The staff comforted me and reassured me that most children have a rough couple of weeks. Each day when we did drop off, her teachers spent extra time with her, comforting her, trying to engage her in play, and engaging the other students to make her feel comfortable and welcome. They went above and beyond to ease the transition for her, and for me, jury is still out who had a harder time with it. Either way, we both got through it, and after a couple of weeks, she was excited to go to school, to see her friends, and her teachers, who she absolutely loves.
She has thrived at the learning experience, not only in terms of learning and social development, but in potty training, and routine napping as well. The staff is friendly, welcoming and helpful. They all know me and my daughter by name, and I really feel like her well-being is important to them.
You have a lot of choices when it comes to childcare, and the reality of the time and place we live in is they are all more expensive than you would probably like. Here though, I can promise that cost is well worth it. I have peace of mind every day I drop her off, knowing she is safe and happy, under the watchful eyes of some of the most patient and kind people you could ask for, eating healthy food, exercising, and playing cooperatively with her friends. Even if I could somehow work out my schedule to keep her home with me every day, I would be doing her a disservice, because she would be missing out on the many opportunities to learn and grow that her school provides. I get to take care of all my grown up responsibilities and I have peace of mind knowing she is in the best possible place for her.