Center for Infants and Toddlers
- Monday-Friday 7 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
- P: 317-676-9187 F: 317-653-3033
- enrollment@dayearlylearning.org
- 6 weeks - 36 months
Day Early Learning Center for Infants & Toddlers focuses exclusively on the development and care of children ages 6 weeks to 36 months. Located one mile west of Methodist Hospital, the center is conveniently located for families who live or work on the near-west side of Indianapolis.
At Day Early Learning, we believe that the foundation to a lifelong love of learning for a child begins with a nurturing relationship with their teachers. Infant teachers are trained in responsive caregiving. That means they work to build a trusting relationship with each child, provide individualized care to each infant and toddler, and develop partnerships with families. All infants experience a responsive, sensitive caregiving environment.
Day Early Learning teachers are education professionals with either a bachelor’s or associatee degree in early childhood education or have or are working towards the Child Development Associate (CDA) credential. Because lifelong learning is central to our work, teachers continue their education through regular trainings. Additionally, Day Early Learning Quality Coaches work with each teacher in individual classrooms to enhance teaching skills. All teachers undergo a screening and background check prior to employment.
The center’s Early Head Start program provides comprehensive child development and family support services for families with infants to 3-year-olds, including health screenings, home visits and free diapers, wipes and formula.
Center Leadership
Previously a Team Lead, Kat was elevated to a School Leader in June 2023. Kat has been with Day Early Learning since 2015. She has an associate degree in early childhood education and is pursuing a bachelor’s degree. Kat loves watching the children in her class learn and grow.
Since joining Day Early Learning in 2013, Heather has served as a lead teacher, team lead and, now, an operations manager. She owns more than 15 years of experience in early care and education and owns a bachelor’s in family and consumer sciences along with a master’s teaching certificate in early childhood education.
With nearly a decade of experience, Courtney came to Day Early Learning in late 2020. She has a bachelor’s in child development along with a master’s degree in educational psychology and neuropsychology. Courtney loves helping her peers around the center and can find her at concerts, reading or exploring new places with her husband during her free time.
Mary joined Day Early Learning in 2019 and has a bachelor’s degree in social work. Her favorite part about her role is being a resource in helping families meet their goals for well-being and success. Mary also enjoys giving parents the opportunity to further their own education and establish careers while knowing their children are being cared for in a high-quality early learning environment.
Nyeshia has been with Day Early Learning since 2009 and started as a substitute teacher before working her way up to Classroom Support Professional. She has a bachelor’s degree in human development and family life studies and her favorite part about her role is seeing families overcome obstacles to reach their goals.
Laura is a Certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioner and Registered Nurse who has been with Day Early Learning for more than 10 years. Prior to her time at Day Early Learning, she worked in a neonatal intensive care unit, a developmental pediatric office and a pediatric primary care office. Laura has four boys and enjoys traveling to the beach, swimming and gardening during her free time.
Tuition Rates
As a nonprofit, our goal is to provide high-quality, accredited early childhood care and education at a price families can afford. The prices listed below reflect our full fee. Many families qualify for discounts or financial aid. Please check to see if you qualify.
Infants
$398
per week
Toddlers
$374
per week
NOTE: Tuition rates vary based on county. Please visit the page for your desired location to view current rates.
Quick Guide
When you entrust your child to Day Early Learning, you can expect a high level of quality, safety and integrity. Day Early Learning supports the highest standards of early care and education by adhering to national accreditation standards and the state of Indiana’s Paths to QUALITY™ (PTQ) Level 4 standards.
All Day Early Learning classrooms utilize The Creative Curriculum, a research-based early child care and education curriculum. The learning objectives of the curriculum are aligned with Indiana’s Early Learning Foundations and include child-focused activities that address language and literacy, math, cognitive, science, social-emotional and physical development.
Your child’s classroom will have an individualized lesson plan posted every week. Each activity on the lesson plan is purposeful and intentionally planned based on the teachers’ observations of each child in the classroom.
Regularly assessing each child’s growth and development allows teachers to tailor lessons and activities to the needs of each individual child. All Day Early Learning centers use several methods to assess each child’s growth and development including TS GOLD® observations and the Devereux Early Childhood Assessment (DECA).
Teachers must have either a bachelor’s or an associate degree in early childhood education. Classroom support professionals must have a high school diploma and CDA or 12 college credits in early care and education within two years of hire. All teachers are trained in Universal Precautions, first aid and CPR.
Children at Day Early Learning receive a healthy breakfast, lunch and two snacks a day at our centers. Meals are designed to be balanced and include fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains, while limiting the amount of sugars and processed foods. Weekly menus are posted in your center.
Our menus are reviewed by a certified nutritionist, approved by the Indiana Department of Education and meet the Gold Standard from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) for Child Nutrition Programs. Additionally, our culinary team members are Serv-Safe certified to ensure food safety.
You are your child’s first and most important teacher. You are always welcome at Day Early Learning. Feel free to visit the center and participate in special programs and activities. Your participation is important to your child’s success.
Your child’s health and safety are our top priority, and we work to prevent illnesses through our health and safety policies. When illnesses do occur, school leaders will inform parents of the illness, symptoms and incubation period, per Indiana State Licensing regulations. We take extra care to sanitize classroom surfaces, toys and common use items whenever an illness is confirmed in a classroom.
Early Head Start Program
Health Services & Development
We strive to increase availability, quality and effectiveness of physical, dental, nutritional and mental health services available to our families. By addressing children’s health needs, Early Head Start ensures that children can focus on learning. Each child receives health and developmental screenings and, if necessary, are referred to community health partners or intervention services for follow-up services.
Family Support & Engagement
Community Resources
EHS children must maintain an 85% attendance rate each month. If children will be late or not present, the family must communicate with their assigned Family Engagement Specialist.
Two home visits occur each year and are a program requirement.
Early Head Start school years start on August 1. Children will receive a hearing, vision and growth assessment each year. During their time in the program, their health records will be monitored, including well-child checks and immunizations.
The Early Head Start program partners with parents, guardians, families and the community with a common goal to assist with making progress towards goals created by the parents/guardians. Together, we support children’s learning and healthy development while contributing to your family’s well-being.