Little Forest People Daycare — Local services in New York

I had high hopes for this place based on all the positive reviews. However, I am extremely disappointed with my experience at this daycare and feel compelled to share my concerns. Last week, I was informed by Nilda, the daycare owner, that my 2-year old son had pinched another child. My son will be 3 next month, which makes him a toddler. When I went to pick him up, she scolded him and began a lengthy explanation while standing over my 2-year old son, telling him “there are consequences," several other things, and then proceeded to ask my toddler, "Would you like it if I pinched you?” At this point, I stopped her and reminded her that he had already been disciplined for this earlier and that she did not need to continue. This incident left me feeling deeply troubled and I began to immediately find an alternative for childcare. Not only was her discipling approach inappropriate but downright alarming. If this is the approach she takes in front of me, I can only imagine the kind of tactics used behind closed doors.

This incident also left me questioning her knowledge about child development and how to use effective, research-based behavior strategies. Toddlers are not equipped to understand long, complex explanations or being scolded. Instead, what they do respond to is calm and simple language, focusing on redirecting the behavior. What I witnessed Nilda do was anything but that.

My son had only been there for six months and there were a few instances before this where I questioned Nilda's professionalism and ability to redirect negative behaviors, but the other daycare workers were wonderful and caring towards my son. However, after witnessing how Nilda spoke to my son in front of me, it left me with no choice but to take him out of the daycare. If your toddler is smart, active, and likes to test boundaries (I’m pretty much describing a typical toddler), I would not recommend this daycare. There are far better options out there with adults who have a better understanding of typical child development and who can provide a positive learning environment where your...

I just wanted to express my sincerest gratitude on how Ms. Nilda and the rest of the staff has cared for my daughter these past 2 years. My daughter entered when she was 18 months old and had enjoyed every passing day.

My husband and I would get such a kick out hearing my daughter say, she wanted to go to school (LFP) on a Saturday! We would have to explain that Ms. Nilda and the others weren’t working. It made her a little sad…

My daughter learned a lot at LFP. They kept me updated on all activities. They taught and encouraged my daughter to be independent (for example, eat on her own, wash her hands and be responsible by picking up after herself amongst other things). Everyone always greeted each child with a big smile. Not only was the environment welcoming, friendly and clean, we always felt like we were leaving our daughter with family. Ms. Nilda always went above and beyond to demonstrate how much she cared for each child and provided a safe environment for all.

Unfortunately, we have to leave since my husband’s job is relocating us to another state. I can only pray we will be able to find a trustworthy and reliable program as LFP.

We are so grateful to Ms. Nilda and her entire staff - please know we will truly miss the service and...

Our family has been blessed to have our son at Little forest People for almost two years now, and words truly fall short in expressing how grateful we are. From the very beginning, the entire staff welcomed us with warmth, care, and genuine love for our little one.

Over these past two years, we’ve watched our son grow, learn, and flourish in ways we could have only hoped for. The care, patience, and dedication shown by Miss Nilda , Miss Joanna and Miss Ashely we will never forget. They have not only nurtured his mind but also his heart teaching him how to share, communicate, be kind, and believe in himself.

What we appreciate most is how Little forest People feels like an extension of our family. It’s comforting as parents to know that while we’re away, our son is in a place where he’s loved, safe, and supported every single day.

Thank you, Miss Nilda and team , for the incredible impact you’ve had on our son’s early years. You’ve helped lay a beautiful foundation for his future, and for that, we are forever grateful.

With all our appreciation, — The...