Poughkeepsie Day Nursery
An Early Education Childhood Center

36 North Clover Street
Poughkeepsie, New York 12601
(845) 471-1910

Home    Our Program    About Us    Staff     Links to Local Resources

Our Program

Hours: 7:00 A.M. to 5:30 P.M.
We are open year-round, with the exception of 11 scheduled holidays.
Full-time, part-time, before and after school care is available.
Closings and delays will be announced on local radio stations.
Tuition rates operate on a sliding scale and scholarships are offered when funds are available.
We welcome parents receiving subsidies from the Department of Social Services.
A one week deposit is required, with a two week notification for withdrawal of a child.
Payments are due on Friday for the following week.
If you would like more information, please schedule an appointment and bring copies of your
pay-stubs so that we may determine your tuition fee based on your family income.

The Poughkeepsie Day Nursery offers both full and part-time Early Care and Education.  Our part-time session consists of Early Learning under five hours a day and may be a morning or afternoon session.   We are planning to open a new Toddler program for children ages 18 months to 3 years of age.  We are proud to be recognized as one of the oldest Centers in the Nation and are currently serving our third generation of children.  The Poughkeepsie Day Nursery provides a creative curriculum combined with an atmosphere of three L's: Love, Laughter and Learning.  Our goal is to help children develop into responsible, productive adults and to help them achieve their dreams.

Our Educational Philosophy at the Poughkeepsie Day Nursery is that children learn through play.  Open-ended activities are developed for children to learn at their own pace, through exploration and discovery.  Our curriculum includes Language Arts, Social Studies, Science, Math, Music and Art and provides meaningful problem-solving experiences.  This, coupled with our safe, nurturing "Love, Laughter and Learning" environment allows our children the opportunity to explore, utilize hands-on materials, be creative, and develop a love for learning.  The program balances the child's intellectual, social, emotional, and physical development. Tuesday at the Library is a story time which includes stories, tapes and activities in which everyone in the class participates.  Our daily "Home-to-School Communication Books" let families and teachers work together on a on-going basis to best meet the needs of each child.  Teachers and/or the Executive Director are always available to answer your questions and discuss your child's progress. Class trips are taken to the Bardavon 1869 Opera House Theater, the Clearwater, Train rides, to Art Museums, the 2 By 2 Petting Zoo, My Friend the Policeman and Fireman and the Mid-Hudson Children's Museum.  Visiting Science Specialists come in to show the children snakes, turtles and various live animals to handle and observe.  An exposure to various activities helps the children to understand the world around them.

Our multi-cultural, bi-lingual library and computer center ensures that children retain their family culture and language.  The Junior League of Poughkeepsie is currently helping us to restore our historic building and is putting together
a Music and Art program for the children.  Physical education and creative movement workshops develop children's physical abilities and when coupled with sound nutrition programs enable children to meet their on-going daily growth needs. The Nursery's location in beautiful Wheaton Park provides the children with a park-like campus and a private fenced in playground which features age-appropriate equipment for toddlers, pre-schoolers and kindergartners.

Parents are always notified if their child becomes ill or has an accident while attending the center.  Families are asked to provide one complete change of clothing, labeled with their child's name, to be used in case of emergency.  Fire drills and emergency evacuation drills are done on a monthly basis. The Poughkeepsie Day Nursery has a specialized safety monitoring door system that allows all visitors to be screened before gaining entrance to the facility.  Our discipline policy provides opportunities for children to achieve greater self-control, by establishing reasonable guidelines for behavior within the Nursery's environment, and applying them consistently.  Staff members provide positive feedback to children to reinforce appropriate behavior and to promote a positive self-image.  Our parent information handbook packet describes all of our policy and procedures in detail, our recommendations concerning common illnesses and their treatments, and our medication policy.

Parents' input in our program is very important to us..  A Parent Advisory Committee is being formed and parents may volunteer to be a part of the decisions being made at the Center.  Poughkeepsie Day Nursery maintains an Open Door policy and parents are invited to come to the center at any time to be with their child during the day and may volunteer in the classroom.  Parent-Teacher Conferences are scheduled in February and parents receive a written progress report about their child.  School picnics and Open Houses are held in addition to other family oriented programs.  A Thanksgiving luncheon is planned for children and their families to enjoy.

Please note: For more information about our facility and our unique program, please call and we will be happy to arrange a tour.