Little Friends

Little Friends Home Daycare has been a source of consistency, stability, love and care for our 2 year old (and my partner and I!) this past year. Stephanie is such a thoughtful and nurturing caregiver and communication with her has been easy, timely and clear. Having had our 5 year old and 2 year old in several different care environments, I can honestly say this has been the best all-around care situation we've been in. We've loved having a small care environment (just 4 kids) and Stephanie engages the kids in wonderful daily art, enrichment and outdoor activities. We highly recommend this daycare and Stephanie as a care-giver!

Hi caregivers! I want to offer my highest praise of Stephanie and her business, Little Friends. As a nervous parent returning to collective care with a child born in May 2020, when the pandemic began, I could not be more grateful for Stephanie's care, organization, and reliability. Stephanie is an accomplished early childhood expert. She uses a variety of tools to engage and support the development of our almost-two year old - crafts, outdoor activities, language development, play, etc. Stephanie's care of my son has exceeded my expectations, and I could not feel more calm and supported after I drop off in the morning. I really appreciate receiving short daily updates, collaborating on anything that is happening both at home and in care with behavior & health (e.g. sleep, diet, language and digestion), and most of all, seeing my child thrive and develop well in her care. My shy COVID baby has blossomed in language and social skills with Stephanie. I also truly appreciate her emphasis on close-knit, small sized groups that allow for high quality support and care. 

We’ve had both our kids at Little Friends at varying ages and hours, and have felt SO lucky to have had them in Stephanie’s care. I can’t say enough good things! She’s absolutely wonderful with the kids, and working with her is as easy as it gets in terms of her communication with parents. The atmosphere is exactly what we wished for our kids and they both have loved it very much. It’s a very special place and we highly recommend!

Little Friends is THE BEST daycare we could have asked for, for our little one! Our two year old is always excited to go to Stephanie’s, and barely even turns around to say goodbye to us after drop-off. Highlights include: walks to the park, gardening, water play activities when it’s hot outside, music and dance time, meals + snacks, arts&crafts, sensory activities, resources and recommendations for family activities, endless patience and grace with both kids and adults. Stephanie sends pictures and videos of the kids regularly, and is always flexible, communicative and proactive, which has been especially comforting with any Covid related updates. 100% agree with what was said by other parents- if you have a chance to enroll at Little Friends, jump on it!

If you see an opening at Little Friends, jump on it!!! We have had the pleasure and good fortune to have our son in Stephanie’s care since he was 1 (approx. 17 months) until almost 3. He is a spirited, talkative boy and his needs have always been met under her care. He sprints excitedly into daycare each day and comes home talking about all sorts of new things, like Jupiter and manta rays and yoga.

I was very nervous sending my son off to daycare for the first time, since he stayed at home with me full-time for the first year of his life. But Stephanie made the transition seem effortless. Through many toddler phases, every stage of the pandemic, and his fair share of behavioral challenges, she has had a soothing presence on my son and, frankly, me. She has a warm, calming energy that never fails to put my worries and anxiety at ease. When I am at a loss about a parenting challenge, she has been extremely helpful offering insights, communication strategies, and even reading material to borrow.

Stephanie is the kind of caregiver I WISH I were! Think themed seasonal crafts, homemade play-doh, applesauce from scratch, nature walks at the park, unflappable patience. She uses positive and gentle behavior techniques and celebrates every kid’s birthday with a cute crown, a special treat, and singing happy birthday — she doesn’t have to do that, but that’s the kind of person she is.

I’m so grateful we found Little Friends and will be truly heartbroken when it’s time for our son to move on to a preschool setting. If you have any questions or would like a personal reference, please don’t hesitate to message me on here. As my family and coworkers can attest, raving about Stephanie is a favorite pastime of mine!

We are so grateful to have found Stephanie! Our son started 6 months ago when he was almost 2 old and we wanted to transition from our home based nanny to a daycare before ultimately he goes to Preschool. We were initially drawn to the fact that there was a low teacher to child ratio, meals provided, and that Stephanie has a degree in Child Development. We couldn’t be happier since our son started! He has flourished there developmentally, growing leaps and bounds! We continue to be amazed by what he’s learned there. We have total piece of mind while he’s in her care, and know our son loves his time there.
We highly recommend Little Friends!

We love Stephanie and Little Friends! My 2 yr old son has been attending for the last year and we couldn't be happier! My son currently attends 3 days a week, and asks every morning if today is a day that he gets to go see his buddies at Little Friends. I think if it was up to him, he'd go every day! As a working parent, it is such a relief to find a place that your child is happy to attend and is so well cared for. I never feel guilty dropping him off or worry about him while he is there because I know he is having such a great time!

Stephanie is very attentive to the children's needs and does a great job coming up with fun and engaging activities for them. She often sends us photos and videos of the kids having fun, and our son has come home with many works of art from their craft activities. She is easy to communicate with and has been flexible and easy to work with. I love that she provides meals and snacks for the children. It is a huge bonus to not have to pack a lunch every day! I highly recommend Little Friends! 

Stephanie has been caring for our older daughter for the last year and a half, since she was four months old. Can't say enough great things about Little Friends - our daughter LOVES her time here, has made great friends, and developmentally has grown leaps and bounds. Although Stephanie is licensed to accept a larger group of children, most days there are 2-3 children total, very occasionally four children total. There are outings to Dimond Library and Dimond Park, if teacher to child ratio allows - otherwise there is an outdoor play area for the kids to get some fresh air. The kids are highly engaged spending their days playing inside and out, reading books, doing art projects, having dance parties etc... ;) Stephanie provides a stimulating learning environment for the littles, rotating out toys each week to keep it interesting. Stephanie is easy to communicate with, as flexible as she can be, and rarely takes unscheduled time off. Her rates are also affordable, especially given the high quality  of care she provides. Healthy meals and snacks are included - huge time saver for working parents! Our older daughter is moving on to preschool come May 2019, and our younger daughter, who will be five months old, will be taking her place in Stephanie's care - we feel so lucky our other daughter will also have a spot with Stephanie!