Here are some of the things parents are saying about me and my daycare —
Maya is amazing and her service as a caregiver is incomparable. As a [temporarily] single first-time mother, she truly saved our family. Her pricing is more than fair for the quality of service she provides.
Maya is fun, loving, warm, and the perfect hybrid of no-nonsense, thoughtful, and whimsical. She cares for the children out of her home, which I love. It’s impeccably clean and beautifully decorated. The babies/toddlers have all of the space they need with a great view of the lake! The living room is full of toys and educational activities for all of the children without plastics or barriers. It’s a free and safe space. The sleeping room is tidy and peaceful. I’ve picked my son up many times sound asleep. The children stay engaged throughout the day with music, activities, and most importantly each other. They receive attention unlike anything available at a conventional daycare.
Each afternoon, I pick him up with a freshly changed diaper, clean bottles, and very specific notes of everything (eating/sleeping/changing). Maya gives a full detail of his day. I never feel rushed and brushed over at pick-up. She will recap the day or engage in a delightful chit chat.
Maya got my son on a predictable schedule which made getting long, undisturbed rest possible at home. She has truly made being a parent much easier on all levels. She has over 25 years of experience and can offer advice (only when asked) on anything. Again, amazing and invaluable.
Her building is attended and everyone is very friendly. Elevator and ramp access makes it easily accessible with a stroller and carrier. I walk to her but there is also a temporary parking area for drop-off.
I moved to Chicago alone from the west coast. I started a new job and had to find childcare for the first time and was in a new city. I honestly had no doubt after meeting Maya. In fact, spending time with her and watching her interact with my son was the deciding factor to move to this neighborhood. I couldn’t give her a higher recommendation. I feel lucky that she is part of our lives and I hope we can continue to work with her for a long time.
Thank you, thank you, thank you.
–Danielle Andress
We have been with Maya for two+ years and two kids. Her daycare is wonderful. She is warm and nurturing to the kids, but has clear boundaries and expectations. Her home is impeccably clean and each child is given individual attention throughout the day. Her hours are good for working families and her pricing is very competitive. We have experienced fewer sick days than any other parents of little ones that I know, likely because of how clean Maya keeps her home and the kids. We were referred to her through friends whose daughter had been with Maya for over a year, and are so glad we found her. Right away after attending her daycare, our infant began to excel enormously at tummy time and gross motor skills. She believes in the importance of sleep for the kids and has some kind of magic to get them to eat anything. Our toddler is not a fan of veggies at home, but he will eat two servings of them every day with Maya. She was the first adult he ever reached out for and he absolutely adores her and loves going to her home. She was a great resource for us as new parents and gave so much guidance about how to make naptime work better, improve diet, and could answer pretty much any question that was plaguing us. Whenever I am struggling with having to leave my kids and miss out on time with them, Maya seems to know and sends me pictures so I know they are happy and safe. And it is fun to pick them up at the end of the day during music time and see them dancing and playing together. She truly loves the babies she cares for– more then once I found her with tears in her eyes as one of the older kids said goodbye on their last day.
–Jenny Hansen
As a parent who decided to pursue graduate school, the question that haunted me was, who would I trust to care for my 3 month old son? Ultimately, every parent’s goal is to enlist a caregiver who can provide the best possible care for their child so we often rely on reviews from other parents when making this important decision. This is why I would like to offer a review of my son’s caregiver, Maya, who was recommended to me by my husband’s colleague.
There is only one way to describe our experience with Maya and that is absolutely POSITIVE. Maya has bounds of energy and enthusiasm for her work. She showered my son with kindness and motherly care and attention. He would get very excited to see Maya each morning. My son has fussy eating and sleeping habits but Maya had no problem ensuring he was well fed and rested. She provided him with sufficient and meaningful play opportunities to enrich his growth and development. Her workspace was always clean and well organized. It was a huge relief to know that while I was in class, my son was receiving the highest quality of care and attention.
–Nahida Teliani
Maya’s Day Care is simply the best in Hyde Park.
My son was 11 weeks old when I returned to work and we needed someone who would reassure us that our infant was in good hands. Maya was that person. She has over 25 years experience as a childcare provider. She is warm, friendly, knowledgeable and most importantly, extremely reliable. Our son has formed a close bond with Maya and has thrived in her care. He has never been sick or had a fever in the time he has been with her, and Maya makes sure to give infants plenty of tummy time, and mental stimulation to keep them on track with their milestones.
Were it not for the fact that our family is relocating, we would have stayed with Maya for years to come.
–Neesha Oliver
My husband and I learned about Maya through word-of-mouth and from indirect correspondence with one of her former clients. As first-time parents, we were especially concerned to find a safe, nurturing, and intimate environment for our eight-month-old son. Maya’s daycare exceeded our expectations and put those concerns to rest! When we first interviewed Maya, our son warmed up to her immediately. As soon as he met her, he seemed to tell us, “She is the one!” It was as though he could sense the genuine love she has for little ones. Over the subsequent months, our son really bonded with Maya, and we knew we could trust her completely to take good care of him. Maya is also a scheduling guru for babies. Before starting with Maya, he was not on a schedule at home. But thanks to Maya’s expertise, the situation quickly improved. Our son soon began taking naps and eating meals at regular appointed times, and this routine has carried over wonderfully at home as well. Maya also helped make it easy for me to transition from nursing my son to feeding him bottles of pumped milk. Maya was great at making sure everything is properly stored. When we picked up Stanley, we always took note of his happy disposition. In fact, there were many occasions when he wasn’t ready to leave. Maya is very knowledgeable and a valuable resource for parents. We enthusiastically recommend her professional daycare services!
–Lori Butler
With one daughter who is 4 years old, looking for child care for my newborn second child felt daunting. I had already gone through the separation process once, so I no longer had the anxieties of many first-time parents. My issue was this: knowing how engaging older children can be, and knowing how unpredictable (and–let’s be honest–slow-paced) infants can be, it was important to me that I find a provider who was patient, and who truly enjoyed small babies. I also needed some flexibility and affordability, since I am a full-time student at the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business. After putting for a while, I was pleasantly surprised to receive three unsolicited, enthusiastic references to Maya within one week, from two current students and one alumna, all of whom had used Maya for child care in the past with their own children. I decided to check her out.
Maya’s home is located in the Regents Park building, convenient to anyone in Hyde Park (although I confess that I commute from much farther, Rogers Park, every day). The elevation (she’s on the 36th floor) and many windows that look upon Lake Michigan mean that the space is bright and inviting. Maya loves pink and purple; her place is decorated somewhat with these colors, and she greets me every morning in another fun outfit in one of these colors. This is perhaps a silly detail, but I believe it reflects a certain sense of fun and appeal to children that Maya offers. The space is set up for young children. The primary spaces she uses are the living room, which has a huge open area with bouncy chairs, baby gyms, and baby activity centers, and one bedroom in which she sets up pack-in-plays for the children.
I’m not sure how else to put this, but Maya understands babies. She completely “gets” the rhythm of their days (after all, she has been caring for babies for over 25 years), and she is extremely organized in balancing the schedules of multiple babies. In fact, watching Maya care for her babies is like watching a well-rehearsed dance. Maya is happy and good-humored, and she spends time talking individually with each person during the day, giving them tummy time when they are very little, stimulating them with different toys and music. Given the chaos that my own household frequently falls into (I admit it!), it is always impressive when I find my daughter and other babies quietly, happily enjoying themselves in their respective locations when I come to pick my daughter up every evening. I find the same scene when I drop my daughter off late or pick her up early–this is simply the atmosphere at Maya’s. My daughter’s transition to Maya was smooth. I am sure that she sensed Maya’s confidence and calm and was calm herself. Now she has been there for five or six months, and she smiles a big smile each morning when Maya greets her. She is always happy to be there.
Two other details that are worth mentioning:
* Most of Maya’s children are breastfed, so she is very comfortable working with breast milk
* In the 5.5 months that my daughter has been going to Maya, she has not been sick even once (considering that this is the November – February period, I know this is particularly impressive)
I am thrilled to have found Maya, and think she is a great child care provider, particularly for graduate students, professors, and employees of the University of Chicago who are new parents and looking for child care support. Also for anyone who lives in Regents Park, a trip up the elevator is the best commute to day care in the world (far better than my own) so this should be a total no-brainer!
–Janine Givens-Belsley
Maya is the best by far!
I put my little one on maya’s day care when she was almost 6 weeks, i felt very comfortable: everything was clean and healthy so the baby didn’t get sick at all . Also she treated my little one as her daughter so the baby felt happy and safe on maya’s day care.
I didn’t have any experience with babies, maya was so helpful and taught me a lot.
From my experience i honestly highly recommend maya’s day care , i beleive that home day care is better than a regular one at this age( in fact you prevent your baby from being sick). Although maya studied infant care at university of chicago , she has a huge experience ( around 30 years), and very good reputation in Hyde Park.
–Rim Mikati