Mini Infant Center

When we were looking for daycare for our 1 year old son who had always been cared for by my mother, I was scared. We had visited dozens of establishments. When we walked into Mini Infant Center, it was clear that it wasn’t state of the art and it wasn’t high tech. It was clean and all of the kids were happy! Isn’t that what it is all about. The providers were on the floor with the kids, playing with them, hugging them, being craddled all over, and laughing with the kids. They are a play based center which allows each child to stay on their own schedule. There is no mandatory nap times and if kids are tired or hungry, they take care of them. They are excellent teachers and have a wonderful way of getting kids to do the right thing and to help teach them how to interact with other children. I am so blessed to have the best care providers taking care of our son. They are now like family.

After researching many childcare options for my son we were recommended to Mini by a co-​worker. When we went to check out Mini we felt right at home. The staff was so warm and inviting and all the children seemed to be content and comfortable. The setting was very simple, perfect for young children who do not need to be overstimulated. The nap room was quiet with low lights and each child had their own space.
My son has been at Mini now for 7 months and we are so happy that he is there. He has developed socially by being around his «friends» and has learned a lot of new skills by observing the older children. He loves his teachers and I have no doubt this is the best place for him.

My two very different children each spent their infant/​toddler daycare years at Mini Infant Center, and if we had a third I would not hesitate to return! Mini is a very small center with 12 spots — as a result, it has a very intimate and family-​oriented feeling about it. Families actually know each other rather than just doing a quick drop-​off and pick-​up wave. Other things we liked: 1. Low staff turn-​over — one teacher has actually been there for 16 years — rare in infant daycare 2. they try to use a low-​key RIE philosophy approach — which is centered on respect for the children (which at this age means basically not treating an infant like a passive doll — for example, speaking to the infant to let them know what you’re going to do before you do it, actively interacting with them during diaper changes, emphasizing developmentally appropriate play and interaction with other children, etc.) 3. Mini teachers taught my 2.5 year old son how to behave around an infant before my daughter was born — as a result my son already knew how to be careful and loving with his sister before she even came home — can’t tell you how much we appreciated that 4. nice facilities — especially lovely courtyard and large outdoor play area that is NOT on the street and is away from traffic noise 5. Mini does not use high chairs, swings, bouncy seats or any other kind of constraining device for children (other than strollers for walks) — cribs are used only at nap-​time. Teachers are regularly down on the floor with the kids observing or providing the children with play opportunities. They have a guitar player come in and play for the kids on a regular basis, and often play young music CDs for the children. 6. most importantly, there was never a single day that I spent worrying about whether my children were safe. B/​c of the size of the center and quality of teachers, this is just not a concern at all.