Take the survey to see 3 daycares that match your preferences, timeline, and what matters most to you. It’s free for parents & takes 5 minutes.Take the 5-minute survey to see 3 daycares that match your preferences & timeline.

Ms. Aihua

Firefly Family Montessori

Licensed home daycare

Andover, MA

9am–6pm, M - F

Free the child's potential

Great for parents who want...

Each daycare has its own approach and specialties based on the provider’s expertise. Take the survey to see daycares that match your preferences and work best for you.Each daycare has its own approach & specialties. Take the survey to see 3 good matches for you.

A Few Favorite Activities

Activities are designed to help children develop social, emotional and cognitive skills as they sing, dance, play, and learn in a small group setting.

Circle time

Arts & crafts

Fine motor skills development

Outdoor play

Reading time

Sensory play

STEAM activities

Music

Activities are designed to help children develop social, emotional and cognitive skills as they sing, dance, play, and learn in a small group setting.

Each program is led by a licensed child care professional. While they each have their own expertise and approach, they all share a genuine love for educating and helping young children grow & thrive. Being licensed also means they have done a series of state-required trainings and they’ve passed a government background check.

About the Provider

Licensed Family Child Care Educator

License #9045444

Prior Experience

Parent
2 children
K-12 Teacher @ Self-employeed
2 years experience with school age
Preschool Teacher @ Andover School Of Montessori
1 year experience with preschoolers

Education

Professional Certificate - 2018
Montessori Teacher @ Montessori Institute New England (MI-NE)
Program Accreditation - 2014
Post-doctoral fellow @ Harvard University
Program Accreditation - 2009
Post-doctor in Medicine @ Indiana University
Graduate Degree - 2006
Doctor's degree in Medicine @ Sun Yat-sen University
Bachelor’s Degree - 1996
Clinical Medicine @ Peking University, China

Q&A with Ms. Aihua

What inspires you to care for young children?

When a provider really loves what they do, the kids feel that joy! After working for sixteen years as an MD, I discovered my true passion while researching schooling for my children. The more I learned about Montessori, the more interested I became – and eventually got a teaching certificate and began working as an assistant at a Montessori school. This second career is so fulfilling because I get to spark kid’s creativity, help them discover new interests and passions, and shape wonderful learning experiences around each individual child.

What’s a typical day like at your daycare?

In Montessori classrooms, the environment is important. Our space is divided in a specific way, with each area of the room stimulating a different type of learning and intelligence. This really stretches their capacities and independence, and helps them grow! Throughout the day I observe children and give them lessons based on abilities and interests. I also have lots of unique ways to help children with big feelings and social emotional development. The kids love exploring the classroom and having a daily work cycle - where they have time to really focus on an activity that interests them. We also have story time, circle time, and outdoor play every day.

What’s one thing parents should know about your program?

There are so many unique things about my program. We are Montessori based, bilingual Chinese/English, and we spend a lot of time outside in nature – my home has a lovely backyard with a garden and a teepee for the kids to enjoy. On rainy days, we use our basement space for active play. Kids really develop their gross motor and fine motor capabilities here, and I get to know each child well enough to understand them on an emotional level. This enables me to help if a child is having issues adjusting or having trouble with social situations - two things that can be challenging for preschoolers. I use gentle approaches that are effective and really create a bond between me and the kids.

Think Ms. Aihua might be a good fit?

Find out if she has a spot for you. It’s 100% free and takes just 5 minutes.

“As we observe children, we see the vitality of their spirit, the maximum effort put forth in all they do, the intuition, attention and focus they bring to all life’s events, and the sheer joy they experience in living.”

~ Maria Montessori

Rates & Openings

Daycare rates depend on how old your child will be and what your schedule looks like. 5 days / week might get a slight discount, and infant rates are usually more than toddlers’. Finding a spot also depends on age and schedule because each daycare has a limited number of openings for each age range.

to see if Ms. Aihua has a spot for you.

Select an age range to get an estimate:

Location

Ms. Aihua’s NeighborSchool73 Woburn Street Andover, MA 01810(978) 637-5754(978) 637-5754

There are 2 home daycares in Andover. Most care for 6 to 10 children and take both infants and toddlers. All home daycares are licensed by the Department of Early Education and Care, just like preschool centers.

Let’s find a really good daycare for you

Get your own recommendations based on your preferences, daily routine, and what matters most to you.

FAQs

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.

What is NeighborSchools?

Hey there, nice to meet you 👋 We’re a new-ish startup that helps new-ish parents find daycare.

We know how hard finding good child care can be - especially for first-time parents. But really good care is what gives you the peace of mind to go back to work and feel confident that your child is getting the stimulation, socialization, and support they need to learn and grow.

So we created NeighborSchools to make this piece of parenthood a whole lot easier. We say “easier” because, let’s be honest, it’s still a big thing to figure out, but working together we can help you find some good options, understand the whole process, and choose a program you’ll feel really good about.

How’s it work?

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.

Is there a cost?

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.

How do I know if I’m ready to take the survey?

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.

How do I know if a daycare has openings?

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.