Little Rays of Sunshine Group Family Daycare — Local services in New York

Never have I felt so discriminated against! I had been researching daycares to send my 17 month old and my 4 month old. I found Little Ray of Sunshine and loved the fact that they had a curriculum and it was on the Upper West Side not too far from me. I definitely should’ve probably called to inquire as to whether I could stop by, but being as I was already in the neighborhood and only had a question or two I didn’t think it would be harmful to just pop in and ask. On the way up I ran into several parents whom were very nice and told me very nice things about the daycare. I carried my 17 month old up with me as she was a lil groggy and I was hoping she’d be able to see the place. We get upstairs and the workers greeted the parents picking up their children and myself, however when the parents left, the daycare workers slammed the door closed in my face without asking if I needed help or anything. I proceeded to knock on the door despite wanting to just leave with my baby, and I could hear them speaking behind the door in Spanish- I’m assuming to tell the owner I was there and they weren’t sure what I wanted. She opens the door and IS NOT welcoming. I greet her with a smile and inquire about any open spots for my 17 month and 4 month old and she told me without any hesitation, “sorry I’m full.” So I ask, does that include your other location and she looked shocked I knew about her other location and she says “I’m full in both” and proceeds to close the door. At that point I should’ve just left, she wasn’t interested in answering my questions, speaking to me or even offered me some sort of brochure with further information about the daycare. I articulated myself well, I wasn’t aggressive and even apologized for showing up unannounced at dismissal. I’ve worked with kids ranging from my daughters age (toddlers) all the way up to high school, from all kinds of back grounds, including that of special needs and I’ve never discriminated against them or their parents. I love to help people and share information in the case I personally can’t help. I was hurt by this daycares actions especially with seeing my daughter asleep in my arms! The owner didn’t acknowledge my sleeping toddler, she simply tells me I came during dismissal and it wasn’t a great time to speak- (however the workers as well as herself spoke graciously to all the parents picking up their children while I was there.) I try one last time to inquire about the likelihood that a spot will open and the owner redirects me to her website where I can fill out a form for her waiting list, in addition she says “Try W147 and Morning Side…you know that area.” All I could think was Wow. I moved out of the way for another parent whom was politely waiting for our conversation to finish so she can pick up her child, at which point I just took my daughter and left. I’m so disgusted, I never thought I’d face discrimination like this. I’m saddened that there are people still...

We started at little rays in March, when I returned to work, my son was 5 months at the time and had been exclusively breastfed and I'd never left him. The thought of transitioning him to daycare was stressful and daunting. We were on the waiting list for another daycare center and I just had a feeling it wasn't the right place for us. Luckily I met another parent at a local cafe and she recommended LROS. I knew it was the right place after I met Christina (virtually) and got to hear their approach to care.

The first week was tough for my son, he wouldn't take a bottle and cried a lot. Christina and the staff were so patient and worked with me to help my baby. They recommended different bottles, consulted me on things I can do at home to help the transition. It really felt like a team effort to transition successfully. I was really worried that we would not be accepted because my baby was struggling at first, but that couldn't be further from the truth.

Now 4 months later, my son loves going in, he is smiling when I pick him up! LROS have supported our transition to solids, being loving and patient through teething. I honestly just feel like they're family and I can't say enough positive things about them. The kids learn ABCs, counting, sign language, crafts, singing, etc! I love that my baby is interacting with kids his age, but also older, I think that's helping his development. They take the kids outside to the park every day and send us pictures which I love! Lastly, I love that the staff cook on site for the kids, and they have family style meals around the table. It's a bilingual center which is excellent for baby development too and as a single language household, I'm so grateful that he has this exposure at daycare.

I hope this helps other parents looking for a daycare, there are so many options and it's a big decision to trust other people...

I cannot say enough good things about LROS. My daughter joined the daycare when she was eight months old and has been attending for eight months. We love it and it's obvious that our daughter has had a wonderful experience. It has been great to see her grow and learn in this environment.

The daycare itself is impeccably clean and colorful with lots of things for the kids to observe, play with and learn. There are play & sleeping areas. There is a kitchen where staff prepare great home cooked food. For the younger kids not yet taking solid meals, staff followed our feeding instructions and provided daily written reports at the end of the day. The kids also get age appropriate lessons in English and Spanish which has been particularly great exposure for our daughter. When the weather permits, the children go to a nearby park for outdoor play with staff.

Christina and her staff deeply care about providing a safe and nurturing environment for children. We were quickly at ease knowing that our daughter was in caring hands. She was greeted every morning with a cheerful welcome and warm smiles by her caretakers. Christina is very knowledgeable about childcare and manages the daycare really well. She is reassuring to parents and very communicative. We get regular updates by text and lots of photos. She also was sure to check in with us whenever our daughter wasn’t feeling well.

They organize birthday celebrations w/ parents' consent. It blew us away to see how much thought and effort they put into our daughter's first birthday. Their effort and dedication is really reflected in all parts of the day to day. In sum, we've really found an extended family with LROS. We would highly recommend it for anyone looking for a daycare for...