Parents' Perspective: "King's Daughters is an extension of our family"

Maeve | Age: 21 months | Parents: Mary and  Jose

Mary: Maeve started in April 2016 when she was 11 months old. I tell everyone about King’s Daughters. What I like the most is the teachers and staff. They made it very clear from the beginning that their job was to love my baby… and I think it is very telling that within a few weeks Maeve didn’t want to leave when I would come to get her. She still gets very excited whenever she sees Ms. Jonda [a teacher in the infant room].

Jose:  We do love King’s Daughters. The people are very kind. They have a wonderful way of teaching them and they really seem to have a lot of interest in kids and a kid-like quality. All of the people are wonderful. We feel comfortable and Maeve loves the affection she gets there.

Mary: We had enrolled Maeve in another program that was closer to our home but from the very beginning it felt very much like a business transaction.  I wasn’t comfortable with it and we decided that it wasn’t going to work… and then a friend of a friend mentioned King’s Daughters. My husband and I looked at it online and were drawn to the educational philosophy for the older kids. I have a background in Montessori, so I love the engagement and learning environment King’s Daughters provides.

Jose: The security they’ve incorporated is really great. Security is quite important to me because, as parents, we can’t be there to protect our babies. They lock the doors and not everyone can just walk in. I’m so happy that there is a check point where they ask questions to see who is coming in. It’s peace of mind to me that I know where my daughter is safe and secure.  From the father’s perspective, from the parents’ perspective, you want your daughters and sons to safe as possible when you can’t be there.

Mary: Maeve really loves to play outside and the kitchen area in the toddler room. I think her favorite thing, however, is getting to play with the slide and toys in the lobby when I bring her in the morning and before we go home. It’s really special one-on-one time she gets with the toys and I love to see her find such joy in the space.

I really love the library. We’re raising Maeve bilingually (Spanish and English), so I love that there are constantly new books in the library in both languages that we can borrow to take home.

Jose: It’s great. It’s not as expensive as many other places. Not long ago I lost my job and we reached out to them. They were so accommodating with what we currently make.

Mary: The thing that really stands out to me, though, is the people and how they truly care for not just the children, but also the families. One morning I was having a hard time leaving Maeve and dealing with a few personal matters. I didn’t say anything to anyone there. Later that morning, Ms. Lee (the infant and toddler program director) called me to check on me. It was so thoughtful. She was the only person who asked me if I was ok that day. I still get misty eyed thinking about it. At this point, I can’t imagine having not introduced Maeve to these women who are now a wonderful extension of our family.

We are participating in a local fundraising tournament to raise funds to open a second toddler room to serve more families like Maeve’s! Check out our Stats Sheet here and get ready to help us make it to the final round! You can make donations during the tournament at www.kdchild.org or https://nashville.bfg.org/bracket!