Experience with Magnolia Infant Community

I'm a very happy parent at Magnolia Infant Community! My toddler son is currently enrolled at Magnolia (he's been there since he was 4 months old), and he'll stay until he starts preschool in the fall. Our second baby (due in July) will also be cared for at Magnolia when I return to work later in the fall, and I couldn't be more confident about the excellent care that she'll receive there.

Maria, the owner and main teacher, is absolutely wonderful with babies and toddlers! She's one of those people who just loves little babies (I, honestly, am not), and she's aware of their needs for a gentle and soothing environment, with plenty of outdoor time and options for interesting gross motor and fine motor activities, along with plenty of love and cuddles. She was a great partner for these first time parents in terms of developing a nap schedule (our son did not nap easily until 7 months), introducing solids, handling separation anxiety, eliminating the bottle, and all of the other milestones babies go through. As the current set of babies at Magnolia have grown into toddlers, she's been great at introducing new materials and activities to interest them (yesterday they peeled and cut carrots with a crinkle cutter for snack time, and the day before they did sponge painting), as well as many practical life skills, like pushing in their chairs at the table, putting away their coats and shoes when they come in, and helping to clean up messes. They also have Spanish music time twice a week, which always seems like a highlight from the photos we receive (some photos most days, but not every day). We aren't potty-training yet, but she'll also help with that once it seems like a toddler is ready to begin.

The daycare's philosophy is definitely Montessori-inspired, with a healthy side of RIE/respectful caregiving, if that's the sort of thing that interests you.  And, of course, the Spanish-immersion is great as well! As I mentioned above, Maria is the main teacher, but she has hired several wonderful Spanish-speaking women to help her with the care of the small class of 6-8 babies/toddlers. We had the same two women for my son's first year or so at Magnolia, but they both had to leave relatively recently due to family/personal needs. The two young women who are now helping are also really lovely; while I'm not thrilled with the staff turnover, I understand that it's very common with daycares, particularly in this area given how the cost of living is skyrocketing. I do trust that anyone Maria would hire will be an excellent care provider and will follow the same respectful caregiving model.

Other potential downsides to consider: the daycare's hours are a bit shorter than some others (8:15 - 5:30), Magnolia is closed four weeks out of the year (one week in the spring, one in the summer, two at the end of the year) + the typical major holidays when all schools are closed, you bring lunch after your baby turns a year old (but healthy morning and afternoon snacks, like fruit, veggies, beans and rice, etc. are provided - and Maria teaches table manners!), and there's no outdoor space connected directly to the daycare (but a public park is a block away).

Overall, we've been thrilled with the care our son has received, and will be happy return customers, so to speak, with our second baby. Please feel free to message me if you have additional questions.