New Wilton Daycare Center Focuses on ‘Active Learning’

Like many parents-to-be, 36-year-old Stamford native Mitch Hoffman invested many hours in early 2008 searching for the best and most affordable infant care for his first son, comparing nannies to local facilities.

But as he struggled to find a center that fit his ideals, the entrepreneur and part-time baseball coach for New Canaan High School came to the conclusion that it may just be better to create his own. And so shortly after the birth of his son Maddox, in September 2008, Stamford’s Building Blocks Early Learning Center (72 Camp Avenue Stamford; 203-517-9769), opened its doors.

“I was searching around for childcare, and I really couldn’t find something that I totally appreciated and was as comprehensive as I liked,” says Hoffman, who possesses a master’s in education from Columbia University.  “What I would do for my son, I wanted to give to another kid.”

And as the need affordable childcare for two-income families has grown as fast as little Maddox, Hoffman’s business has grown, too. In March, the dad opened a new location in Wilton adjacent to the Westy Self Storage Unit on Danbury Road.

Like the flagship location, the  in Wilton (59 Danbury Road, Wilton, 203-517-0168) reflects Hoffman’s desire for a business that emphasizes physical fitness and active learning for the six-month-old to four-year-old set. Its flexible hours for a set price – 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday -- reflect the demands and time constraints of career parents, many of whom commute to New York City on a daily basis. 

The Wilton location is sprawling with rooms and play areas. At the new site’s open house last Saturday, parents-to-be (and many with toddlers in tow) enjoyed bagels while perusing rooms full of netted Graco Pack and Play kits and coloring props. A 1,000-square-foot gym – complete with a cushiony, sturdy floor and several little tricycles – gave way to a large, cushioned playground, where children climbed atop a colorful, wavy slide and hid inside a miniature firehouse.

As with any daycare, activities are tailored to a child’s age. While infant rooms are filled with little baby bouncers and tiny toys to help foster the development of fine motor skills, activities for toddlers and pre-schoolers are geared toward language development, literacy and creativity -- in addition to physical fitness.

Hoffman says what makes his facility stand out from other places is his philosophy of good care for a fair, single price that is all-inclusive.  

“I didn’t want to ‘nickel and dime’ families,” says Hoffman. “Other places, they say ‘you’re at this price, but it’s this much to do Spanish.’ We don’t want to deny a kid who wants to do Spanish the chance to take it because his parents can’t afford it.”

Fulltime tuition runs close to $400 per week, one-third to half the price of a private nanny (the going rate is about $15-20 per hour, or about $600-800 per week).

But it isn’t just a lower price that Hoffman believes gives daycare an advantage over one-on-one nanny care.

“I think childcare might have a slighter edge than having a nanny because you’re interacting with more kids on an ongoing basis,” he says.

Either way, parents shopping around for daycare should consider several different criteria beyond price:

• The environment: Is it safe and clean? Is it overcrowded? Is it a place parents would want to be? These are all questions that parents should ask themselves when evaluating different facilities.
• What’s included: Does the daycare include all programs for one price? Are lessons (such as Spanish) or diapers included as part of the price? This can give prospective parents a better overall picture of how much they will have to pay. 
• Teachers/staff: A daycare center is only as good as the staff that runs it. “If the teachers are happy, the kids are going to be happy,” says Hoffman.