Day care recommendations...

Mom2LilyGrace

Hi Maine Moms, My husband and I live in S. Portland with our 2 children (1 and 4 years old). We are really unhappy with our current day care situation...it was a happy, nurturing and overall great day care center when we enrolled them, but unfortuntately that is not the case now. We are looking for recommendations for center-based day care facilitites in the SoPo, Scarborough or CE area.

Can anyone offer any information (good or bad) on these programs:

Leap N Learn Scarborough

Holy Cross South Portland

Thanks in advance!

kkchisholm

Are you looking for a center or home setting?

Mom2LilyGrace

Hi kkchisolm,

We're looking for a center....any help would be helpful and much appreciated.

Thanks.

JMSwitzer

We looked at Leap N Learn, the director was really nice and it was definitely affordable, but just didn't feel like it would be a good fit.  We were looking for a place where she would get a lot of individualized attention and the opportunity to explore and learn in a nurturing environment.  We decided on Sandpiper Child Care, they're small, I think total capacity was 20 kids or so, they have an amazing brand-new playground and outside play space and plenty of indoor space for the kids.  Our daughter LOVES it there.  Prior to moving to Scarborough she attended a great center which cost almost $80 more a week.  We liked it and she seemed happy there, but nothing compare to now.  When I drop her off in the morning, she says "Okay mama, you go now, buh-bye."  I think that is a huge testament to how much she enjoys her time there.  I'm grateful to have such a great place to take care of her.

Also in the Scarborough area we looked at Creative Beginnings, which I thought seemed really chaotic and unorganized.  For a toddler, it seemed like the layout and the noise level during the day would be overwhelming.  We planned on looking at Heidi's house but a co-worker, who has experience working in child care centers,  discouraged it.  I looked at the Toddle-Inn website, and I may be nit-picking, but they had a huge error on their website on the page with the description of infant and toddler care.  It's probably not indicative of the care they provide, but a bad first impression none the less.

I hope this info helps.  Day Care searching can be really stressful.  Happy hunting!

lifeonthehill

I can't offer any advice on these particular places but in the Bath/ Brunswick area I work at a home daycare and the majority of the children are transfers from larger centers. Parents are unsatisfied with the attention given to their little one particularly the ones under two.

I know a home daycare seems less professional than a center but if you are looking for stability and one on one attention please consider a home daycare. The centers you listed are on the bigger side.