Home Daycares in Danvers

As a mom of three, life can be busy, but I am at my happiest when I’m around kids. The more you work with kids and help them learn, the more you learn yourself. I started my program because I wanted to create a career around my passion for child care. Plus, I love supporting other parents and sharing my knowledge. When my daughter was in child care, I remember how helpful it was that the program had her on a consistent nap schedule—it made our life at home so much easier! I want to offer that same support to the families in my program and help figure out what works best for their children and their home. I hope parents see Miles of Smiles Childcare as an extension of their family.

I went to college for psychology and afterward began working with senior citizens first. Over time, my positions took me to younger and younger people until I was working with children who had gone through trauma. I worked with these children for four years before nannying for two years while I had my own children. By 2011, I was ready to have something of my own and continue in the child care field that I loved. Having a family child care program allowed me to not only work with children but also have the consistency that my family and the families I work with needed. I’m so glad I did because it is the most rewarding job anyone could have! We also just received an award for Best Child Care in Peabody in 2019, which is a huge affirmation of the work we’re doing.

When my son was diagnosed with Autism, I knew I wanted to stay home with him to give him every opportunity! I absolutely adore working with children and have all the love and patience in the world for them! Opening my own child care program in my home gave me the opportunity to create the warm, friendly environment that I think is so important. I especially love to watch the children in my program express themselves, but the truth is that so many parts of the day and the week bring me a lot of joy. Through it all, I focus on learning through play. One of the best parts of working with children is watching them learn. The work is incredibly rewarding, especially when I think about how I've prepared children for pre-K. It's such a gift to guide the children in my program as they grow.

When it comes to childcare, a provider's experience and education can make all of the difference. I have my Bachelors of Science degree in Early Childhood Development from Salem State University. Over the past decade I have worked in various childcare settings. Aside from years of babysitting, my first childcare job was at a big center with children ranging from infants to school age. Over my four years there I spent time in each classroom acquiring a plethora of experience. Most importantly I was able to oversee and take part in my niece and nephew’s care as they attended. Family is very important to me and it meant so much to me to have such an influential role in their lives on a daily basis. I left the center to work as a nanny for three young boys while I finished up my degree. As a graduation requirement I was also spending time in two commercial childcare centers. When I graduated, I knew that working in a large childcare center was not for me. Post graduation I met a new family and worked as their nanny for four years. Nannying was a wonderful profession and I have developed strong relationships with the families I have worked for in the past. I was able to care for my nieces and nephews occasionally with my nanny children and create wonderful friendships amongst them. My nanny children became part of my family. While nannying, my continuing education became more focused on mindful practices and emotional intelligence through childhood development. It is my goal to run a program that incorporates the values of family and community while fostering child development and education. I am confident that my vast experience with children and educational background has prepared me for this next step in my career. It has been my goal to open a family child care center in my home for many years and I am very excited to get started!