GOOD CHEAP Daycare in Crown Heights

Subject: daycare options

It's not easy to find good daycare in the area. We trek to Eladia's Kids on Flatbush and St. Mark's (either subway or walk). Great daycare but NOT cheap and not close enough for our tastes. If it makes you feel better, it's hard to find OPEN slots in a good daycare no matter where you live in Brooklyn.

Right on the border of Prospect Heights and Ft. Greene (I think on Vanderbilt and Greene) is the Medgar Evers Child Care Center which I heard has a great program and they charge on a sliding scale basis. You should also check with some of the local churches, they might be able to refer you somewhere. Lots of times they have their own but don't advertise.

Good Luck.

It's not quite in the neighborhood but I have been really impressed by Lefferts Gardens Montessori. Here's a link to their not so informative website but at least it has contact info:

http://www.leffertsgardenschool.com/door/

They have two small-ish sites which take kids from 2-6 y.o. The classrooms are warm and large with nice small areas for the kids to work with different things, like there's a reading loft and a snack nook where kids can help themselves to fruit etc, a nook with math manipulatives etc... Both times we've visited all the children have been incredibly nice to each other and our son. They're engaged in their work (it's actually surprisingly quiet there cause they're all so busy exploring!) The teachers seem warm and accessible. I'm a teacher myself and I've been really impressed by everything I've seen there. As a bonus the school is also quite affordable, relative to other offerings in the area..

The only downside I've found so far is that it's difficult to get Tony, the administrator, on the phone. If you want to go for a tour I recommend calling in the mornings and asking to speak to Windy who is a very experienced Montessori teacher who works there in the mornings only (training and supervising the newer teachers). She can give you a tour and if you're interested in more info you can talk to Tony but you'll have to be patient and persistent.

St. Chas. Pl. wrote: It's not quite in the neighborhood but I have been really impressed by Lefferts Gardens Montessori. Here's a link to their not so informative website but at least it has contact info:

http://www.leffertsgardenschool.com/door/

They have two small-ish sites which take kids from 2-6 y.o. The classrooms are warm and large with nice small areas for the kids to work with different things, like there's a reading loft and a snack nook where kids can help themselves to fruit etc, a nook with math manipulatives etc... Both times we've visited all the children have been incredibly nice to each other and our son. They're engaged in their work (it's actually surprisingly quiet there cause they're all so busy exploring!) The teachers seem warm and accessible. I'm a teacher myself and I've been really impressed by everything I've seen there. As a bonus the school is also quite affordable, relative to other offerings in the area..

The only downside I've found so far is that it's difficult to get Tony, the administrator, on the phone. If you want to go for a tour I recommend calling in the mornings and asking to speak to Windy who is a very experienced Montessori teacher who works there in the mornings only (training and supervising the newer teachers). She can give you a tour and if you're interested in more info you can talk to Tony but you'll have to be patient and persistent.

I visited this school, too, and was impressed. I stayed for circle time and the kids sang to me--very cute. My neighbor sends her child here and drives to/from.

It's hard to find a good, affordable place around here. Most places I have been looking at are in Park Slope and Fort Greene--not close and not necessarily cheap, but very good programs. Check out parkslopeparents.org for reviews and other ideas.

We just decided to join a co-op in Clinton Hill--nice community and more affordable (they had a massive waitlist, so not sure if they'd take any others).