All Over Albany

Kidskellar @ Albany Med was GREAT!

... said ned on Jan 15, 2013 at 1:51 PM | link

Pineview Preschool on Washington Ave Ext in Albany is fabulous. Great teachers and incredible facility. Take a tour for sure!

... said E-Liz on Jan 15, 2013 at 2:17 PM | link

Years ago i was a sub teaching asst. at eight different daycares. Executive Woods daycare in Colonie was the best. Mercy care near ST. Peter's hospital was also very good.
There is a NYS agency that can refer you.

... said mg on Jan 15, 2013 at 2:25 PM | link

My wife and I are completely interested in this topic but currently live in the Troy / Schaghticoke area. Also I should mention that we have 6 month old twin boys, so cost is also a concern.

Thanks for asking this today, what a great resource.

... said Chris H. on Jan 15, 2013 at 2:29 PM | link

I have been using the Laven Early Childcare over at the Jewish Community Center on Whitehall Road since June of 2010. Pricey but I love it. The teachers are great and they are open 7a-6p. The number of closures due to holidays can be problematic for some so check the calendar before committing.
http://www.saajcc.org/ec/earlychildhood.cfm

a friend has her two year old and 8 month old at the Albany Med daycare which is less expensive and provides all meals. She has been very happy there.
http://www.amc.edu/Albany_Med_Kids/index.cfm

In 2010 I also toured the following that did not work out due for various reasons unrelated to their performance (availability, location etc). I did like the offerings at both:

over at corporate woods
http://www.brighthorizons.com/

St Peters Hospital
http://childcarecenter.us/provider_detail/mercy_cares_for_kids_albany_ny#.UPWtpfJQ9tU

finally, I have not toured this location but I did meet the director and a teacher recently and was impressed by their passion and excitement.

http://www.castleislandmontessori.org/en/content/our-facility

Good Luck!

... said kathy on Jan 15, 2013 at 2:32 PM | link

The Children's Place at the Plaza (at the Empire State Plaza in Albany) is great! http://www.empireplazakids.org

... said Kate on Jan 15, 2013 at 2:48 PM | link

We're no longer there, as we have (excellent! - thanks, Bethlehem Preschool!) care closer to home, but we were pretty happy with Bright Horizons, just off exit 5A of I-90.

... said Ewan on Jan 15, 2013 at 2:53 PM | link

Congrats! I have two kids at Club Fed/Victory Child Care Center at the federal building in downtown Albany. My oldest has been going for over 3 years. I've been very pleased with their progress, emotionally and academically. Teachers and admin are very caring (including a good retention rate, which can be rare at centers). Any minor concerns over the years have been handled to my satisfaction. I also know that the Children's Place on The Empire State Plaza has a high quality program. I have heard very good things about Albany Med and St. Peter's as well. Down side is that all are hard to get into. Get on waiting lists right now. It is possible that your decision will be dictated by where the vacancy is when you need it. Visit all you plan on applying to and go with your gut - it won't fail you.

... said mo on Jan 15, 2013 at 2:53 PM | link

Can't say enough great thinks about Samaritan-Rensselaer Children's Center on Burdett in Troy. AMAZING. My son has multiple medical issues and we are in our 4th year with them and I don't know what we would have done without them. Educational but also play-based with lots of field trips and concerts and special days & activities and a diverse group of kids. LOVE THAT PLACE.

http://www.nehealth.com/medical_care/sam/Children's_DayCare/

... said christina on Jan 15, 2013 at 2:56 PM | link

We've had a great experience at Maple Leaf Childcare here in Malta (i honestly never thought we'd use a daycare center, but they have changed my mind!). I know they have a few different locations in the area, so they may worth checking out: www.mapleleafchildcare.com

That being said, i have also heard wonderful things about the Samaritan-Rensselaer Children's Center someone mentioned above -- if we were in that area i would definitely check them out!

... said Julie on Jan 15, 2013 at 7:34 PM | link

I highly second Club Fed! My first born attended from 3 months until he entered kindergarten, and my second attended from 4 months until age 4.5. I have also had friends with children at Samaratan-Rensselaer Children's Center and they have been pleased.

A few tips: ask lots of questions (especially about staff retention), make sure they have a "drop-in anytime" policy, and most importantly, find a place that makes you feel comfortable!

... said Wendy (Troy) on Jan 15, 2013 at 7:40 PM | link

We really liked Boght Montessori (just off Route 9 - near Colonie Town Park). Our kids went there for a year and change before we moved out of the area. They were great.

We thought they were very reasonably priced, especially compared to a place like Bright Horizons, which was significantly more expensive than other day cares we researched.

... said Alison on Jan 15, 2013 at 7:54 PM | link

I second Samaritan Rensselaer Day Care in Troy (next door to Samaritan Hospital and across the street from RPI's fieldhouse). We send our son there and he absolutely loves it. Plus they are one of the FEW nationally accredited facilities in the region (google it). Space is always tough, but if something opens up take it in a second and dont look back, you wont regret it. The Director's name is Deidre...she's the best - give her a call for a tour.

... said Jake on Jan 16, 2013 at 11:23 AM | link

I'll third the recommendation for Club Fed. They are great with my nearly 2 yr old, the staff is wonderful, and issues are promptly addressed.

I also recommend touring a lot and asking a lot of questions--and the previous posters who mentioned asking about staff retention are dead-on. As someone who worked at a couple of day cares in my time, I will say that the 'pay peanuts, get elephants' saying is true. If a center has good staff who are sticking around for years, they're paying well, training well, and providing good incentivesf. And that translates into better staff who are more engaged/happier with their jobs, and better with the kids.

But above all, as another poster said, trust your gut. If something doesn't seem quite right, it isn't. Enough said.

... said Katherine on Jan 16, 2013 at 11:27 AM | link

The Capital District Child Care Council has online information on choosing the right care for your child including quality indicators, how to review licensing records, occurances of citations and a child care search feature on their website at: http://www.cdcccc.org/

... said Sara on Jan 16, 2013 at 11:46 AM | link

I just want to pipe in that Boght Montessori has had a very checkered past. My son went there for less than a year, during which time almost the entire staff turned over (one person was left, aside from the owner and her husband). They were not very caring or compassionate people, and we were glad to pull our son out before they caused him permanent harm. Keep looking! Good luck.

... said Kate on Jan 16, 2013 at 12:32 PM | link

I would visit several close to where you work and choose the best one. It's very convenient to have the daycare close to your work given all of the Dr.'s appt's, illnesses and special events you'll have to attend at the center, especially early on. I've used Executive Woods since 2007 and work about 1 mile away. They are almost never closed due to weather as many other daycares are.

... said John on Jan 16, 2013 at 12:48 PM | link

Don't forget Ecobaby is opening up in Troy! http://ecobabydaycare.com/

They are awesome!

... said Carolyn on Jan 18, 2013 at 7:42 AM | link

We have gone to the Laven Early CC at the JCC, and they are lovely, but very expensive, since we have twins.

Folks have been really happy with Club Fed and Albany Med.

We're changing to Kingsway in Schenectady, so not on your route, but wanted to give them a shout out. Theirs is an intergenerational program with the Senior home.

... said Nora on Jan 18, 2013 at 10:22 AM | link

It's a brand new center in the heart of troy but as someone who has worked in Daycare for the last 20 years I can honestly say it is unlike anything out there...in the most fantastic way possible. I promise you won't be disapointed.

... said Bridget on Dec 27, 2013 at 8:30 AM | link

Boght Montessori has been great to us and our children. The only reason they had turn-over in staff was because they started with the owners and were distant relatives to them and needed to move on as the place was growing. We have been going there since 2011 and couldn't be happier with the quality of a are there for our two children.

... said AF on Jan 24, 2014 at 7:25 AM | link

Full support for Club Fed in the O'Brien Federal Building in Albany. Great administration, long term staff, security, great curriculum and proper nutrition. Get on the waiting list now though.

... said ace on Jan 24, 2014 at 8:47 AM | link

We were previously using North Country Academy (NCA) and it was a disaster. My daughter was breastfed and their process for feeding breastmilk to infants is RIDICULOUS! We pulled her out and sent her to Boght Montessori. It was the BEST decision we ever made. We now have another child and both go there and I can't imagine sending my children anywhere else. My first wasn't sleeping more than 20 minutes a day at NCA, but at Boght they spent the time to help her sleep and now, she sleeps 1.5 hours per day. It was through their effort, diligence, and care that my daughter is a child instead of a zombie that she was at NCA.

Someone commented about staff turnover and the reason I attribute that is they want the best people that fit a certain personality type. In the past two years that I've been there they have been very careful about their selection process and if they're not happy with a staff member, or that person isn't quite fitting what they believe to be a calm nurturing personality, they keep trying until they do find a good fit. The staff that are there now are great across the board from infants to Pre-K. The personalities between members are similar, which is great for your child because they don't have to do major adjustments when going from one room to the next.

I wouldn't pass up Boght Montessori for a second. They're small and dedicated to caring for the ones they have. My children have very special relationships with the owners and that alone is worth every penny.

Good luck to you!

... said Kristie on Feb 27, 2015 at 2:51 PM | link