Ms. Carla

We opened our doors in June of 1996, so I’ve been licensed and up and running for 24 years now! I earned a Child Development Associate (CDA) and also an Early Childhood Education Associate’s degree. I am a part of a provider’s food program, where we follow USDA guidelines and are subject to 3-4 unannounced monitoring visits per year. I’m also an Early Head Start provider, from whom I’m also subject to two unannounced monthly visits to ensure I am teaching the kids what they recommend. Additionally, I’m a member of the National Association of Education of Young Children (NAEYC). So how did I get here? It began in high school, when I participated in a program teaching early childhood education. Even before then, as a little girl I’d always be playing teacher, taking the lead in taking care of the children that were around when we had company over. I decided to start my own program when I had children, because daycare was so expensive and working with children was something I loved to do and wanted to invest time into. I had experience, education (studying Early Childhood Education during undergraduate studies), a passion, and felt motivated by the ability to help my own children and the larger community of parents and kids. I love everything about kids, how can you not?! I love helping them build confidence in themselves and making learning fun. I take a lot of pride in building caring relationships with both the children and their caregivers. I value healthy communication and I strive to listen and not always offer advice! I am friendly, approachable, and have a deep knowledge and passion for the kids. I look at every child that walks into the door and see them as my own. I treat each child like I’d want my own to be treated. I want every parent to drop their child off and feel comfortable that their child is safe and well cared for. I put a lot of passion into what I do, and after over two decades of experience, I am proud of the program that I’ve built and the care I give to the children.

My goal is to provide a developmentally safe and inclusive environment for infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and school-age children. I like to provide a stimulating, early learning experience that will help promote healthy self-esteem, as well as the childrens’ social, emotional, physical, and cognitive development. Ultimately, I’m helping prepare them for the long-term future and I take that very seriously. I feel that if they have good learning experience when they’re young, it’ll influence how they respond to education as they grow up. We make sure to have a lot of fun while learning! We have a play-based approach, there are no drill sergeants here. I am a patient, responsible, reliable, flexible, kind and humorous person and this translates to the children in their learning developmentally and with life skills. I put a huge emphasis on my interactions with the children, and I love teaching them how to interact with others. I enjoy fostering good behavior and positive attitude, giving them a lot of time to explore and discover so many facets of this new world for them. We love story time and circle time. It’s a time of great connection with the children. Everyone has an opportunity to express themselves, talk and answer questions about the story, or talk about the weather and other subjects. I’ve had kids who cannot sit still but during circle time always focus in! I try to liven up story time every way I can because I know how much the engagement means to the kids. I change my tone of voice, get out hand puppets, anything that will make it super fun and engaging for the kiddos. Afterwards we may pull an activity from the story, like an art project. I find stories to be the foundation of many of our days. I am big on encouraging everyone to participate in every activity, while also providing for their individual needs if they are unable. We spend time learning kindness, respect, trust, honesty, compassion, responsibility, independence, hygiene and manners. It is my duty to help the parents prepare their children for the rest of their lives! I do daily communication forms for parents, send photos throughout the day, and see most every day. I am confident that their children have a lot of room for exploration in my care while they are developing important skills.

The environment plays such a big role in the lives of young children. My environment is designed to ensure each child’s health and safety. I offer a wide range of age-appropriate toys and materials that encourage each child’s development, stimulates creativity and imaginative play. I feel wherever children spend their days should be a place where they feel welcome. My space is organized into various learning areas where the children play. My desire is that it is a space where the children feel comfortable and eager to try new things, test out their ideas and use their imaginations. Additionally, children should have the chance to play outside every day (weather-permitting, of course). Running, jumping, and skipping are good for them physically, mentally, and socially. I’ve got a fenced-in yard with a fully stocked playground outside!