Among affluent city parents, the preferred type of child care has long been to hire a nanny. But the nanny vs. daycare vs. au pair debate may start to shift with the opening of a daycare center rooted in the kind of developmental activities, community-mindedness, outstanding facilities, and educated teachers one more typically expects from the best nursery schools in the city. The center, Explore+Discover, is located at 2nd Avenue and East 26th Street. Its approach for caring for and educating little children from 3 months to 2 years is, in part, inspired by the educational philosophy known as Reggio Emilia.
Started years ago by an Italian educator, in general terms, Reggio favors a learning environment in which children have an active and welcome role in the unfolding of an activity. There are many nursery schools across the country that incorporate Reggio principles, including such popular local schools as Beginnings, Tribeca Community, and the nursery at the JCC in Manhattan. Reggio may well be the new favorite flavor in daycare. We recently heard of another new daycare center, Manhattan Schoolhouse, set to open in January on the Upper East Side, which is a Reggio Emilia-inspired daycare and preschool program.
For more on these two programs, visit explorediscover.net and manhattanschoolhouse.com.
