Cribs to Crayons is a licensed family childcare program operated from my home. Children learn and play together in a small, mixed-age group, creating opportunities for close relationships, individualized care, and a strong sense of community.

I am the owner and sole provider of Cribs to Crayons Childcare, so your child receives care from the same familiar person each day. Because the program does not employ substitute staff, Cribs to Crayons closes whenever I am unavailable. Planned closures are shared with enrolled families in advance.

I provide full-time care for children ages 6 weeks through 5 years. Limited school-age care may also be available during school vacations and summer break, depending on space and group needs.

Cribs to Crayons Childcare is open Monday through Friday from 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM, excluding scheduled holidays, vacation days, and other provider closures.

Cribs to Crayons Childcare is a licensed family childcare program located in Bradford, Maine. My complete address and directions are provided when an in-person visit is scheduled.

Yes! Cribs to Crayons Childcare is licensed by the State of Maine and has achieved a Star 4 rating through Rising Stars for ME, Maine’s childcare quality rating and improvement system.

Yes. Nutritious meals and snacks are provided as part of the childcare program in accordance with the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). Families are asked to share information about allergies, dietary restrictions, or feeding needs during the enrollment process.

Yes. Our home includes two dogs—Finn, a Siberian husky, and Scout, a mixed-breed dog believed to be a pit bull/German shepherd mix—as well as a cat named Willow. Finn and Scout are regularly around the childcare children, while Willow makes only occasional appearances.

All three animals have current rabies vaccinations, with documentation maintained as required by Maine childcare licensing. Interactions with the animals are supervised and provide opportunities for children to practice kindness, respect, and appropriate behavior around pets.

Families should disclose any pet allergies, fears, or related concerns before enrollment so we can determine whether the environment will be a comfortable fit for their child.

When no suitable opening is available, families may request to be considered for the waitlist by submitting an enrollment inquiry. Placement is not guaranteed and depends on available space, required licensing ratios, the ages and schedules of currently enrolled children, and the overall fit for both the family and the program.

Cribs to Crayons primarily offers full-time enrollment. Part-time care is not regularly advertised and may be considered only when a specific schedule complements an existing opening. Availability is limited, and families must use the agreed-upon days rather than selecting different days from week to week.

Current weekly tuition rates are listed in the Rates & Fees section of this website. Rates vary according to the child’s age and type of care. Families receive complete payment policies before making an enrollment decision.

The first step is submitting an online enrollment inquiry. If an appropriate opening is available, we will schedule a virtual interview to discuss your child, review program expectations, and determine whether the arrangement appears to be a good fit. An in-person visit may then be scheduled before enrollment is finalized. Submitting an inquiry or completing an interview does not guarantee placement.

If your child is offered a space, the first week of tuition must be paid before care begins. A holding fee is also required when the agreed-upon start date is more than two weeks away. A space is not secured until all required forms, agreements, and payments have been received. All enrollment payments and holding fees are nonrefundable.

All tuition, fees, and other childcare payments are invoiced and paid electronically through Brightwheel. Complete payment schedules, due dates, and policies are provided in the Parent Handbook and Enrollment Contract.

Yes. Tuition reserves your child’s contracted space and is due regardless of attendance. This includes absences due to illness, vacations taken by the family, federally observed holidays, and the provider’s paid vacation and personal days. Complete closure and tuition policies are provided before enrollment.

Yes. Cribs to Crayons currently accepts Maine’s Child Care Affordability Program (CCAP). I am also willing to explore participation in other eligible childcare assistance programs when requested by a family, including completing any necessary provider-registration process.

Acceptance of funding through another program must be confirmed before enrollment is finalized. Families remain responsible for maintaining their eligibility and paying any required parent fees, copayments, or tuition amounts not covered by the program.

Outdoor play is an important part of our daily routine. Children generally spend at least 60 minutes outside each day, weather and safety conditions permitting, and often spend longer outdoors when conditions allow. Outdoor experiences may include active play, gardening, nature exploration, sensory experiences, neighborhood walks, and seasonal activities.

Yes. I thoughtfully plan play-based learning experiences around children’s interests, developmental needs, seasonal themes, and the Maine Early Learning and Development Standards. Learning is woven naturally into stories, music, movement, sensory play, art, dramatic play, cooking, outdoor exploration, and everyday routines. The goal is meaningful learning through play—not worksheets, memorization, or pressure to perform.

Children are invited and encouraged to participate, but they are not forced to complete activities in a particular way. Some children join immediately, some watch before participating, and others explore the materials differently than originally planned. I follow their cues and adapt experiences while maintaining necessary safety limits and daily routines.

No. Cribs to Crayons is a screen-free childcare program. Children spend their days playing, creating, moving, exploring, reading, building relationships, and engaging with real materials and experiences.

A daily rest period is provided after lunch, generally from 1:00 to 3:00 PM. Rest routines are adjusted according to children’s ages and individual needs, with infants following developmentally appropriate sleep schedules. Additional details about rest arrangements and safe-sleep practices are provided in the Parent Handbook.

Activities and materials are adapted so children can participate at their own developmental level. Younger children may explore through movement, sensory play, and simple imitation, while older children may use the same experience for problem-solving, conversation, creativity, or more complex skills. Mixed-age care also gives children opportunities to learn from one another, develop empathy, practice leadership, and build relationships similar to those found in a family or neighborhood community.

Yes. Outings may include neighborhood walks, parks, local errands, community visits, and occasional planned field trips. Transportation may take place on foot or in my vehicle, depending on the destination and the number and ages of children attending.

Written transportation permission is required before a child may participate. Each child is secured in an age- and size-appropriate child restraint, and all transportation follows childcare licensing requirements. Families receive advance information for larger planned field trips; routine or spontaneous local outings are communicated in accordance with the permissions and policies outlined during enrollment.

To protect the health of the entire group, children must remain home when their symptoms meet the exclusion criteria in the Parent Handbook. Examples include a fever of 100.4°F or higher, vomiting or diarrhea within the previous 24 hours, symptoms of a contagious illness, or being unable to participate comfortably in the normal childcare day.

Return requirements depend on the illness and symptoms involved. A healthcare provider’s note may be requested, but a note does not automatically override the program’s health policy or guarantee that a child may return to care.

If a child develops an excludable symptom or becomes unable to participate comfortably, their parent or guardian will be contacted and required to arrange prompt pickup. The child will be kept as comfortable as possible while awaiting pickup.

Minor injuries are treated and documented, and families are notified through Brightwheel. For a serious illness or injury, emergency procedures will be followed and emergency medical services will be contacted when necessary.

Handwashing, diapering, toileting, food preparation, and cleaning procedures follow Maine childcare licensing and health-and-safety requirements. Frequently touched surfaces, eating areas, diapering areas, toys, and shared materials are cleaned, sanitized, or disinfected as appropriate. Bedding and washable materials are laundered regularly and whenever soiled.

Children are also taught age-appropriate hygiene habits such as handwashing, covering coughs and sneezes, and helping keep shared spaces clean.

Medication may be administered only when all required written authorizations, instructions, and documentation have been provided. Medication procedures follow childcare licensing requirements and the policies outlined in the Parent Handbook.

Families must disclose known allergies, medical conditions, dietary restrictions, and emergency treatment needs before enrollment. I review each child’s needs individually to determine whether they can be safely accommodated within a solo-provider, mixed-age childcare setting.

Infants are placed on their backs in an approved sleep space that is free from pillows, blankets, toys, positioning devices, and other loose items. Safe-sleep practices follow current childcare licensing requirements and are reviewed with infant families before care begins. Infants’ individual sleep needs are respected while maintaining required safety practices.

I use positive, developmentally appropriate guidance to help children understand emotions, build self-regulation, solve problems, and learn respectful ways to interact with others. Strategies may include connection, co-regulation, redirection, clear and consistent limits, modeling appropriate behavior, offering choices, and using logical or natural consequences when appropriate.

Children are never subjected to physical punishment, humiliation, threats, yelling, or discipline that withholds food, rest, or toileting. My goal is not simply to stop a behavior, but to understand what the child is communicating and teach the skills they need to handle similar situations more successfully.

Yes. I maintain current pediatric and adult CPR and First Aid certification as required for my licensed childcare program. I also participate in ongoing health, safety, and professional-development training.

Cribs to Crayons maintains written procedures for emergencies such as fire, severe weather, power outages, evacuation, sheltering in place, serious injury, and other unexpected events. Emergency information and authorized pickup contacts are maintained for every enrolled child, and families are notified as quickly as circumstances allow.

Brightwheel is my primary communication platform. I use it for messages, announcements, attendance, billing, forms, daily care information, and photos. 

Families receive updates through Brightwheel that may include meals, naps, diapering or toileting, activities, and other information about their child’s day. Photos are shared when time and supervision responsibilities allow.

Because attentive supervision always comes first, every child may not receive the same number of photos or updates each day. I will always communicate important information concerning your child’s health, safety, behavior, or care.

Families are welcome to send nonurgent messages through Brightwheel at any time. I review and respond to messages when doing so will not interfere with the children’s supervision and care.

For an urgent matter involving your child during childcare hours, please call me directly. Detailed conversations may need to be scheduled outside drop-off, pickup, or active childcare hours so they can receive the attention and privacy they deserve.

Yes. Parents and legal guardians are welcome to visit and observe their child during operating hours in accordance with Maine childcare licensing requirements.

Advance notice is appreciated whenever possible so I can prepare for your arrival and protect the privacy and routines of the other children. Lunch and rest time, generally between 12:00 PM and 3:00 PM, are especially quiet parts of our day, so visits during that period may look different from visits during active play.

Because visits can sometimes make it difficult for young children to separate again, I encourage families to consider how their child typically responds when planning a visit. We can work together to make the experience as comfortable as possible.

Families are encouraged to share information about their child’s interests, development, routines, culture, traditions, and experiences. This helps me provide care that is responsive to each child and family.

Depending on the activity and program schedule, families may also be invited to contribute photos, books, materials, family traditions, or special skills to our learning experiences.

Photos and daily information are shared privately with enrolled families through Brightwheel. Information about another child or family is kept confidential.

Photos are not used publicly unless the appropriate written permission has been provided. Families are also expected to respect the privacy of other children and not save, post, or share images containing children other than their own.

Please communicate with me directly and as soon as possible. Open, respectful communication helps us address questions before they become larger concerns.

For matters requiring a longer or private discussion, we can schedule a phone call or meeting outside active childcare hours. My goal is to work collaboratively with families while keeping the child’s well-being at the center of the conversation.