BERLIN – Parents say that affordable, high-quality childcare is hard to come by these days, but two local mothers and daycare providers want to be the difference.
Babies 2 Buddies officially opened at 10 Chamberlain Hwy., Berlin on Monday. Owner Julieth Callejas and her staff are enthusiastic about providing a much-needed service to local families.
“Affordable daycare for families with children got expensive during the pandemic,” Callejas said. “There was a lot of need and demand. Our goal is to provide affordable daycare that is safe, healthy and nurturing in a home-style daycare environment.”
Their facility formerly housed the New Britain-Berlin YMCA’s Childcare & Program Center, which moved into Berlin’s Hubbard Elementary School to expand its program for infants, toddlers and preschool-age children.
Babies 2 Buddies renovated the building and acquired licensing last spring. Staff training ended recently and they opened their doors to their first six students this week.
“We looked at a few locations but there is something nice about this area and the building itself,” Callejas said. “Surrounding tenants are lovely and have been very welcoming.”
The over-5,000 sq. ft. space has 11 classrooms, offices, a kitchen and different play areas. A jungle gym and outdoor play area stretches from the front of the property all the way to the back of the building.
Babies 2 Buddies is licensed to provide care to up to 108 children, but staff plan to start slow and gradually grow over time.
“The goal is to open one or two classrooms at a time, let families get to know us and properly introduce the children to this new environment,” Callejas said.
Babies 2 Buddies welcomes infants over six weeks old and kids up to age five. Staff also plans to welcome children up to age 12 for summer sessions.
“I would love to be very inclusive,” said Callejas, who has an Associate’s Degree in Human Services with a concentration in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. “If a child has a special need we want to make sure we are offering the child that accommodation.”
Hours are Mon.-Fri. 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Enrollments are now being accepted. Call 860-357-3297 or email [email protected]
Erica Drzewiecki can be reached at [email protected]
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