Take our 5-minute survey to see 3 daycares that match your preferences, timeline, and what matters most to you.
When smaller is better, home daycare is the best. Find great options for infants & toddlers near you.
I earned my BA in Early Childhood Education from Salem State University and I’ve been working with young children ever since. Over the course of my career I have been an Educator, operating my own Family Child Care program in California when my children were younger. I then spent over a decade as a Developmental Specialist working in Early Intervention to help young children and families. My licensed Family Child Care program will cater to children ages one to three, providing development and learning activities specifically tailored to those formative years.
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.
From a young age, I helped to care for the younger children in my family and neighborhood. Child care really became a passion for me—my heart belongs to kids. When I had my son and started looking for child care for him, I was so discouraged by what I found. None of the programs felt like the quality of care I would provide. I realized this was a wonderful opportunity to create my own program. Through Aiden’s Little Munchkins Home Daycare, I am able to offer local families the high quality, convenient child care I believe all children deserve.
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.
There are 16 licensed home daycares in Portland. Most parents don’t know that home daycare is regulated by the Office of Child & Family Services, just like the big preschool centers.
For more daycare recommendations in Portland, take our 5-minute survey.
All of these nearby daycares are licensed by the Office of Child & Family Services. While they don’t work with NeighborSchools, you can visit the government website here to try to contact them directly.
126 Tucker Ave, Portland, Me
Licensed for 8
36 Nevens Street, Portland, Me
Licensed for 12
114 Wolcott Street, Portland, Me
License # 489279
Licensed for 12
11 Gertrude Ave, Portland, Me
License # 645944
Licensed for 5
70 Forest Avenue, Portland, Me
License # 217623
Licensed for 12
27 Munjoy Street, Portland, Me
License # 207359
Licensed for 6
Each daycare provider designs their program based on their unique background & child care experience.
You’d be surprised just how many small-scale child care programs there are in Portland. to find options that work for you.
32 Sanborn Street, Portland, Me
License # 681935
Licensed for 5
41 True Street, Portland, Me
License # 682550
Licensed for 5
237 Spring St, Portland, Me
License # 686365
Licensed for 12
70 Frost Street, Portland, Me
License # 431298
Licensed for 12
45 Olde Birch Lane, Portland, Me
License # 213706
Licensed for 6
28 West Commonwealth Dr, Portland, Me
License # 686827
Licensed for 5
38 Ray Street, Portland, Me
Licensed for 12
89 Lynn Street, Portland, Me
License # 546999
Licensed for 12
453 Ray Street, Portland, Me
Licensed for 8
32 Sara Ln, Portland, Me
License # 667464
Licensed for 6
Get your own recommendations based on your preferences, daily routine, and what matters most to you.
Your family is unique to you, but some of your questions might not be. 😉 Here’s what most parents want to know when starting out.
Most first-time parents don’t know exactly what they’re looking for, so we created a simple survey that will ask you questions about your lifestyle, your daily routines, and your preferences for child care. We’ll then share 3 personalized recommendations that we think might be a good fit. We’ll also give you a timeline that maps out when we would suggest you start touring programs, choose a daycare, and pay a deposit to secure a spot. Your timeline is based on when you want to start care - so you set the pace, and you decide when you’ve found the right match.
Nope. Our daycare recommendation service is free for parents. The other half of our business is helping these small-scale daycares with software and services that handle all their administrative tasks, like online contracting, payment processing, and licensing requirements. Before NeighborSchools, services like these were only designed for large corporate child care centers, and part of our mission is to level the playing field for small, independent child care programs. That’s why we picked the name NeighborSchools - we’re all about making child care more personal, more human, and more equitable for the incredible individuals who do this work and care for our children.
Generally, if you’re here, you’re ready. The survey lets us give you 3 recommendations to consider, but it’ll also help you better understand what factors to consider, and what questions to be asking right now. It’s simple things like where you live, your child’s date of birth, when you want to start care, and if you have any preferences around program philosophy or language of instruction. If you’re planning 6+ months ahead, it’s a great way to get started, and if you’re hoping to start daycare in the next 2-4 months, it’s definitely time to get started. Click here to start the survey.
Each program has a limited number of spots for each age range, so we need to know your schedule and child’s age before we can share availability. The survey covers these basics, as well as factors like drop-off and pick-up times to make sure that recommended programs fit your daily routine. Once we know your child’s age and schedule we can share rates and costs as well.
We’re online Monday - Friday from 8am to 6pm Eastern.
Take the survey and get 3 daycare recommendations that fit your preferences. Takes 5 minutes and it’s 100% free for parents.