Home Daycares in South Portland

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.