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.
The Salt Box School
Children are both cherished and encouraged daily
Activities are designed to help children develop social, emotional and cognitive skills as they sing, dance, play, and learn in a small group setting.
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.
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.
I started working with children as a teacher in an elementary school 25 years ago, and I have been caring for children ever since. Opening my own child care program in my home gave me the opportunity to create the nurturing, encouraging environment that I think is so important. I especially love to read books to them, but the truth is that so many parts of the day and the week bring me a lot of joy. Through it all, I focus on learning through play. One of the best parts of working with children is watching them learn and grow. The work is incredibly rewarding, especially when I think about all the children I've helped grow and learn. It's such a gift to guide the children in my program as they grow.
Having a small group of children in my home-based program is great because I want them all to develop independence, and this setting makes that possible. I use my knowledge and prior experiences to tailor programming to individual children’s needs, and I focus on building independence. We follow a daily routine that can vary according to child age and interest. Beginning with drop-off and free play, most days include circle time, project time, free play, story time, and outdoor play. My favorite time is circle time. I love to see their personalities and interests develop and shine through. I want parents to know that I treat all the children as if they were my own. We're all one big family here, and that includes the parents of the children in my program.
I have dedicated a specially designed area of my Needham home to my program. The space is child-friendly and I know this becomes like a second home to many children. The organization of the space facilitates our daily schedule, and there are special areas for outdoor play, napping, free play, dramatic play, and reading. We also spend lots of time outside playing in my fenced-in yard and walking together through the quiet neighborhood.
Find out if she has a spot for you. It’s 100% free and takes just 5 minutes.
“If we want our children to move mountains, we first have to let them get out of their chairs.”
~ Nicolette SowderDaycare 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. Shirley has a spot for you.
Select an age range to get an estimate:
There are 10 home daycares in Needham. 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.
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.