It’s no surprise that Ms. Valeria has opened her own home daycare in Mattapan, MA—she has admired childcare since she herself was just a young girl. Growing up in Puerto Rico, her neighbor would always bring over her daughter for Valeria to babysit. “It was like a kid watching a kid, but I loved it!
Valeria of Little Fun Schoolhouse in Mattapan – enrolling now!
After moving to the United States, Valeria worked at her mother-in-law’s daycare program for nearly three years. She’s now been working as a preschool assistant teacher for a year and has a two-year-old son, Diego. The training and certifications that working at the preschool has allowed her to complete motivated her to start her own in-home daycare in Mattapan, where she currently lives. “I’ve been around children my whole life,” she says, and she wouldn’t want to do anything else.
What Valeria loves about children is how fast they learn, and in how many ways they can learn. She loves how fun they are, and how she too feels like a kid when she gets to take care of them. While it’s imperative that the children have fun in her daycare, she’s also incredibly serious about learning. She believes in the responsibility to teach the kids, instead of just watching them. Everyone wants their child to be learning, and Valeria is dedicated to making that a reality from a young age.
Her absolute favorite activities to do with the kids, especially for learning purposes, include stories and table time. When she reads stories, she makes sure to put on all different types of voices to keep children engaged and absorbing the tales. Table activities she finds particularly important are drawing, painting, arts and crafts, those that will stir the children’s imagination and give them a sense of pride in their creations. Valeria treats the children she works with as if they were her own children – in fact, her son is in the group too! She knows that kids appreciate being loved, and that they leave feeling that they’re being taken care of at her program.
Valeria’s daycare will be run out of her home in Mattapan, MA. She will have one large dedicated room, “like a preschool classroom” that has various spaces dedicated to each activity: playing, learning, eating, reading, etc. As a bonus, her home is easily accessible by public transportation!
Under Massachusetts law, Little Fun Schoolhouse will open as a licensed home daycare through the Massachusetts’ Development of Early Education and Care (EEC). The EEC mandates strict licensing requirements, which include background checks, home inspections, and safety trainings and certifications. By partnering with NeighborSchools, Valeria has support throughout this process-and will continue to receive expert advice in marketing and operating her business.
NeighborSchools has helped Valeria “so much,” she emphasizes. “I had everything I needed, the training and education, and yet I couldn’t figure out the next steps. I felt lost before finding NeighborSchools and now they’ve saved my life!” NeighborSchools is here to get passionate providers like Valeria really started on this journey, and we’re happy to help.
Valeria’s daycare in Mattapan is on track to be opening up in December 2019, so get your early applications for enrollment in soon!
Learn more about Valeria’s daycare here.
