I'm looking for a new daycare for my DD who will be starting Kindergarten in the fall. Her current daycare is not near our house so does not serve our neighborhood school. So I found out from a friend (another mom, about a home daycare she uses. She sends her older DD there and her younger DD goes to my DD's daycare, and will go to K with my DD in the fall. She will go to this daycare in the fall with her sister, for afterschool care (when K starts).

So the woman does a summer program. She hires a university early childhood education student to help her in the summer. She does field trips 2x a week. Not exactly sure what, but real fun stuff according to my friend.

We live in a very outdoorsy area. I'm in Vermont if that helps you picture it at all. This woman brings the kids canoeing right down the road from her house. They go swimming and it sounds like they do it at least a few days a week (we live pretty much right on a lake). She has 2 vehicles that she uses to transport the kids in. According to my friend, one is a station wagon (not sure what kind yet) and the other is a larger van. So I am imagining that they use the vehicles at least 2x a week for the fieldtrips.

So in terms of fun, this place sounds great. But I'm a tad nervous about all the water activities (DD cant swim). But I would love to get her lessons. I obviously WOH so scheduling can be an issue with this. And also a little nervous about someone else driving her around. But according to my mom friend, the student she hired last year was fantastic and she hopes to have her back this summer.

She takes 12 kids in the summer. I believe she starts at age 3+, but I get the feeling that most of the kids are older. Not many 3 year olds. DD will be 6 in November.

I am going to meet her on Monday, and will find out more about the field trips and swimming, transportation, etc...I imagine she must have booster seats? Or we could provide her with a carseat? DD does not ride in a booster at home, but will be 5.5 this summer so I feel like it would probably be OK if she did.

According to the state website this daycare doesnt have any infractions or anything like that. And my friend says its great. She was hesitant to put her DD there at age 3, because the woman has a raised ranch and would go upstairs to prepare snacks/lunch and she didnt like the idea of a 3 year old unsupervised, but at age 5 she was OK with that (and I am too). I leave my kids in the basement playroom by themselves.

Also, I would not be ending my almost 3 year old son there, just my 5.5 year old DD.