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. Raquel
Shining Stars Daycare Medord
Licensed home daycare
Medford, MA
8am–5pm, M - F
The place to grow, learn and explore
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
Reading time
Arts & crafts
Outdoor play
Seasonal activities
Drawing & illustration
Fine motor skills development
Gross motor skills development
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 #9078477
Licensing Requirements
Background record checked
Government-level CORI, SORI, and fingerprinting
Home inspected for child safety
Thorough assessment by a licensor from the EEC
Health & safety training
Includes annual professional development hours
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.
Q&A with Ms. Raquel
What inspires you to care for young children?
The curiosity of children is so infectious! They love to explore and creating a safe little world for them to do that right inside my own home just makes me happy. I discovered while working as a nanny how special and rewarding the deep connection of caring for a child is, but also wanted to be able to be part of their learning. This is what led to my home daycare program! I love helping them learn and giving them the opportunity to problem solve. It’s just amazing what children come up with when they are given the opportunity to figure things out on their own. Caring for children is so much more than just a job to me – we really become more like a family.
What’s a typical day like at your daycare?
It’s so important that children feel valued. My daycare program is all about the kids. We follow a schedule, but it’s bendable! Children’s needs change so much, even from day to day, and I like that we can switch things up depending on interest, mood, or a fun idea that suddenly pops up during our time together. I like to let children learn at their own pace and follow their lead when it comes to being ready for new challenges. Outdoor time is a must in my program! There is a fun playground right across the street, and my backyard garden is a classroom of its own where the kids water, take care of plants, and even make food with vegetables and herbs we have grown!
What’s one thing parents should know about your program?
Children learn in so many exciting ways! We spend time on singing, art, music, and activities, but we also learn a lot from time outdoors and just from talking to one another! A favorite spring and summertime activity is planting and gardening – seeing the beginning of a plant sprouting, smelling flowers and leaves, creating food with the things we grow – these things really spark joy for the children. Since I’m bilingual, we also learn to speak some Portuguese in my program! I mix these language lessons right into our program in different ways - through stories, songs, music, vocabulary, and even just casual conversations. The pride on a child’s face when they learn how to share something with the class in a whole new language is just priceless!
Think Ms. Raquel might be a good fit?
Find out if she has a spot for you. It’s 100% free and takes just 5 minutes.
“If children feel safe, they can take risks, ask questions, make mistakes, learn to trust, share their feelings, and grow.”
~ Alfie KohnRates & 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. Raquel has a spot for you.
Select an age range to get an estimate:
Location
There are 3 home daycares in Medford. 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.
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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.
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.
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Take the survey and get 3 daycare recommendations that fit your preferences. Takes 5 minutes and it’s 100% free for parents.