Mini Minders Daycare

Reviews (12)

• Review from the 2020–2021 Daycare, Preschool, Pre-K, and K Survey

  July 2021

  Review: My son started Mini Minders when he was five months old and I can’t really think of one thing I do not like. The caregivers are just the sweetest, there is no turnover which means your child does not need to adjust every so often. They have a private outdoor space where they take the children/babies out at least once a day to play or have a bottle. They provide breakfast and lunch and my Snoo sleeping baby who never took consistent naps for me was taking two naps a day within two weeks of starting. Mini minders is not the fanciest day are however they provide a truly caring and loving environment and that is all a baby needs! My son lites up every morning when he is greeted by Magdalena. When I am at work, I do not worry about him, I know he is in good hands. Facility amenities: Has outdoor space, Provides meals, Music once a week

• Daycare recs for 14 m/o

  May 2021

  we used miniminders on 6th ave between garfield and carroll for all three of our kids we love all the caregivers there: Luda (who owns the place), Magdalena, Marisol, and Oksana kids spend TONS of time playing outside in a lovely backyard staff is loving, warm and safe with them they cook all their meals and have a nice long day and often can stay late or cover nights/weekends if you ask ahead

• Anyone use Mini Minders daycare?

  March 2021

  we used miniminders starting in 2009 and through 2018 for all three of our kids. I wouldn't send a baby anywhere else for daycare the caregivers there are experienced and loving and keep the kids safe they cook all the meals for the kids, including breakfast and have a backyard with toys to play in where kids spend lots of time in fresh air we used the caregivers as sitters too and made life friends with other families there as well as with the caregivers who greet our kids when they see them and want to know what they're doing these days their space is on the ground floor of a brownstone so by about 3 years old most kids are ready for a bigger space and more friends their own age but miniminders is fantastic for the age of your baby good luck with the search ... it's so hard to hand over a baby that little to someone else for the whole day every day (and such a relief at the same time too) that said, these ladies are 100% solid and safe and genuinely love the kids in their care

• Feedback on Mini Minders on 6th Ave

  January 2021

  We loved sending our daughter to Mini Minders. She started there when she was 7 months old, and they were so loving and kind with her, and we always felt like she was in great hands. Only reason we left was because we left the neighborhood. It's really no frills, so don't expect any pictures throughout the day/app that they fill in (they hand you a sheet of paper when you leave with all that they eat/drink/pee/poop that day), but they were very communicative and Luda, the director, was great to work with.

• Daycare openings in Park Slope ASAP?

  September 2019

  Try Miniminders on 6th Ave between Carroll and Garfield. I’m not sure it’s still up, but walking by there fairly recently I saw a sign advertising openings. My daughter started there at ten months and had a good experience.

• daycare recommendations?

  January 2019

  I loved Mini Minders at 6th Ave & Garfield. Not the fanciest space but the staff is so warm and loving. I just took more time off to hang with my 7 mo so we just left our spot there last week. I hope to put my kiddo back there when my leave ends.

• Re: Mini Minders Day Care

  October 2016

  I have been meaning to post an enthusiastic review of Mini Minders, so seeing a question about this wonderful little daycare was a timely reminder to do so. Mini Minders is a cozy place, caring for a maximum of 12 children at a time with a good mix of ages from babies through toddlers up to preschool age. I love that they care for the children all together (except at nap time) in a mixed age group, which feels more natural to me than having separate baby and toddler rooms. The owner Luda is a lovely woman--she's kind, flexible, caring and involved with the children, and she makes things easy for the parents. Her staff consists of four reliable and experienced women who are incredibly warm and loving with the children. My daughter barely bothers to say goodbye to me when I drop her off in the morning because she's so eager to run to her favorite, Magdalena. The facility is the ground floor of a brownstone, including the back yard. The outdoor space is great, with a play house, small slides, lots of toys and a pretty garden, and they spend a ton of time outdoors in nice weather. The inside is well kept but not huge, and it does feel a bit dark as garden-level brownstone apartments tend to. Mini Minders provides all milk, snacks and lunch for children who are able to eat table food and drink cow's milk (parents provide baby food and breastmilk/formula for younger babies). Feedback is informal (there's no official report sent home each day), but I quickly learned to trust that the staff knew my daughter well and would report anything out of the ordinary for her. They bring in a music teacher once a week, and as soon as they're able the kids do all sorts of inventive art projects under the tutelage of Masha, whose creativity and enthusiasm are infectious. All in all, I warmly recommend Mini Minders, especially for babies and toddlers as it's a safe and loving place for young children to grow.

• 2014 Daycare/Preschool PSP review

  November 2014

  Length of Time: 5days/Week Child's Age: 2-3 years Review: We loved Mini Minders. Both of our children started out at three months old and continued until they moved on to preschool. The staff is very caring and loving and genuinely interested in the development of your child. They have a great program with multiple teachers/caregivers that excels at taking care of babies/younger children and giving them the development that they need. They did a great job of helping us to work on the dropoff transition, napping issues, and potty trained both of our kids. While we did not get the updates that we needed at first due to different teachers working different times of day, a simple request for notes remedied the situation. The facility is not polished, but it more than met the needs of our children and the backyard is a great feature. Recommend (Hi/Rec/DoNot) Highly recommend Would you send your child again? Absolutely

• Review from 2013 Daycare/Preschool PSP Survey

  July 2013

  Review date June 2013 (for 2012-2013 year) Program: Length of time: Full time, 5 days Child's age: 1-2 years Review: We have been very happy at this daycare. The three primary caregivers are loving and kind. It is a laid back, small family style daycare. Our baby is given individual attention and respected as an individual (e.g., on the nap schedule that works for him, not just the other kids). My son loves the stimulation of being with other kids, coupled with the devoted care from the teachers. We get daily informal feedback. Do you recommend? (Hi/Rec/DoNot) Highly recommend

• (no subject)

  October 2012

  The daycare is fairly small about 12 kids with 3-4 caregivers. There's a play room, a naptime room, a bathroom for those that are potty trained, and a backyard/outdoor space for the kids. Good points: (1) We cloth diapered since birth and the caregivers have been flexible and really good about helping us continue to cloth diaper. they baggie the dirty ones for us (we have a plastic sack that keeps them contained). (2) they feed the kids, mostly organic foods. For those still BF'ing they will feed the milk you leave with them and let you know whether to bring more or if they have enough. Also we would food process our own organic produce "recipes" when our baby was ready for solids and they fed it to her, no issues. (3) patience holding her: the adjustment period from staying at home with me, then going to daycare was hard for her. She had to be held while she was awake, and her naps had to be taken in a baby swing. It wasn't easy. The caregivers were patient with her and worked with her slow timing. It took about 1.5 weeks for her to get used to the new people and new place. She soon started scooting (precedes crawling) so it worked out that she didn't need to be held all the time. (4) good communication: I always ask how things went and one of the caregivers would let me know if she was doing well, or if there were any issues. (5) patience feeding her: taking milk from a bottle was a hard adjustment from BF'ing. she would not drink the milk from a bottle at 6 months. for over a month, the caregivers spoon-fed her my milk - we tried all sorts of bottles - and different methods of feeding her the milk. she would only take milk from a spoon. after over a month she was finally able to adjust taking milk from a bottle. (6) variety of activities: they have art class and music class, dancing and outdoor play. it's really cute and the kids just love it. (7) love and discipline: Aksana is great with discipline. The caregivers are all loving and caring and that was the most important factor for me when choosing a place - that she feels loved and cared for as she does at home. Their philosophy is that no one is separated and everyone is together in the same spaces among the mixed ages and I think it is great. The kids learn how to treat other kids who are not their age. for example the older kids learn how to treat the babies and younger kids. If I had any questions or concerns, I voiced them and everything was immediately discussed/resolved (again, good communication). And I never came across anything serious. In some other places I visited (we saw about 6-8 places), there were definitely great places and a few places with very questionable practices. Miniminders is really good - definitely one of the better ones, especially for the very young. I would absolutely recommend them. Aksana Marisol Magdalena and Luda all have a place in my girl's heart. She loves them and the other kids. She used to refuse her nap because she wanted to keep playing and just pass out right on the playmat. She would leap out of our arms when going there and sometimes not want to stop playing when it was time to leave. She just loves it there. If I were to do it again (maybe with baby #2!), I would choose Miniminders without a doubt.

• (no subject)

  August 2012

  Review Date 2012 Program: Length of TIme: We send our child FT but they offer PT option Child's Age: 1-2 years Review: My son has been going FT since August 2011. The owner, Lyuda is very pleasant and flexible. The "manager" (not sure if it's her official title) Oxana is very knowledgeable but not overly warm in her interactions. Sometimes I have observed her being a little harsher than I'd like when managing the children (don't cry over that or you'll have to go inside). The 2 other caregivers, Magdalena and Marisol are loving and warm and you can tell that they really care about the children. Do you recommend? (Hi/Rec/DoNot) Recommend with reservations

• (no subject)

  December 2010

  Name of Program: Full time KID AGE:2-3 years Mini Minders is wonderful. The caregivers are very loving and affectionate to my daughter. They are very gentle and their philosphy seems to be to provide a warm and caring environment. The facility is nothing fancy -the garden level of a brownstone - but they have a nice shady outdoor play space with a sand box, tons of riding toys, and a play house. There are lots of toys inside and they do art projects all the time, and once a week a music teacher comes in for class. My daughter is perfectly cared for - she comes home clean and well fed and rested every day and hasn't had diaper rash or scratch on her in the 18 months or so that we have been there. My daughter can talk now, and she always says that she has a good day at school, and I haven't had her cry or ask not to go for almost a year. She has good friends there, and they celebrate all the birthdays and holidays, and do lots of extra fun stuff. As to feedback, there isn't a formal procedure - no notes or daily reports - you just ask at the end of the day and they tell you. There seems to be very little trouble or discipline problems, but we did have one issue last summer where a new kid came and bit some of the other kids. Then, all the kids were biting, including my own. They quickly dealt with this and resolved it by being consistent about no biting in a very gentle, loving way, but not making a huge drama out of it. Highly Recommend/Recommend or Do Not Recommend?--Highly recommend Review Date: Fall 2010