Baby care provider 'motivated by love'

By Jason Fields
jfieldss@riverdalepress.com

Fifteen stories above Waldo Avenue is a sanctuary of fairy castles, finger paints and a pizza oven that safely pretends to bake slices that, if you tried to eat them, would taste more than a little bit like nylon.

Riverdale Nurturing Day- Care, a state-certified, homebased facility, offers 12 children a welcoming place to play and learn, its founder, Amesha Burns, said.

“They are safe, and we love them,” the mother of four said.

On a recent visit to the day care, which she runs out of her apartment, Ms. Burns seemed to never be without a baby in her arms. As she spoke, she rocked slowly back and forth as her young charge nestled close.

As Ms. Burns showed visitors around, she pointed to artwork on the walls created both by herself and some of the children she cares for. A large apple tree filled the space on the inside of the front door. An elephant had pride of place on another door, while the castle already mentioned, which seemed to be made of a thousand towers and princesses, lined a hall that led between the main play area and the room where cribs took over much of the space.

Some of the items on the walls were less whimsical, made up instead of the alphabet and other instructional tools. Thea Rosen, a 15-year veteran in the childcare field who is employed at Riverdale Nurturing Day Care by Ms. Burns, spoke about the importance of adding an educational element to simple play, even at the youngest ages.

“Kids are playing to learn that education and fun go together,” Ms. Rosen said.

An important aspect of learning for the very young, Ms. Burns added, is socialization, teaching little people how to spend time in each other’s company.

“It’s simple to always add that sharing is caring,” as a way to explain the need to let others play with a small child’s toys, Ms. Burns said.

Her place is certified to host six babies and another six children over the age of 2. She and Ms. Rosen are both certified to perform CPR, and Ms. Burns promises that any other people who work at Riverdale Nurturing DayCare will be similarly qualified.

The facility is located at 3800 Waldo Ave., at Dash Place, and charges approximately $275 to $425 per week for infants and $225 to $300 for children over 2. She operates between the hours of 8 a.m. and 6 p.m., Monday to Friday, in an attempt to accommodate working parents. She can be reached at 718-543-6473.

As to why she wants to welcome so many children into her home, Ms. Burns said she was motivated by love.

“It’s going to show if you’re not passionate about your job,” Ms. Burns said. “We love our profession.