Precious Gems Family Daycare

Precious Gems Family Daycare, a new daycare center in Bed-Stuy, provides a nurturing environment for children ages six weeks to 12 years old.

Started in 2010, the daycare offers families a place where their child will be supervised in a home setting as opposed to the traditional center setting.  Full- and part-time services are offered along with a kindergarten program located in a brownstone on Hancock Street.

“I love doing this and it’s really self-rewarding. I feel that children four and under should be in a home setting, where they can get that one on one interaction and all the amenities that may not be available in a commercial setting," said founder Danielle Thomas.

Not only is Precious Gems located in a non-traditional setting, it also has non-traditional hours. The hours for the center are year round Monday through Friday from 6:00 am to 6:00 pm but Thomas always extends the hours for parents who have fluctuating work schedules.

"I have non-traditional hours for non-traditional workers. Some parents may have two or three jobs and work overtime, just to make ends meet," she added. "We're able to work something out, so they don't feel the stress of having to pick up their kids by 6:00 pm. They trust and know that their child is in a safe place where it’s clean and they can lay their heads."

While previously working as a human resources consultant for the Department of Education, Thomas’ long term goal was to open her own daycare.  After being laid off in 2008 due to the declining economy, she knew that it was time to delve into the world of entrepreneurship.

“Initially I wanted to go commercial, but because of my financial situation I wasn’t able to do so. There aren’t a lot of organizations that give grants to daycare facilities, especially when starting out small, there aren’t many resources available to us," said Thomas. "After doing the research and once I saw that you can do daycare services from the home, I felt like I could start out this way.”

Emphasis at Precisous Gems is placed on learning cognitive, self-help, social and communications skills. Daily activities include singing, dancing, arts and crafts and outdoor activities.”

Kids can expect an environment rife with education materials, toys, social interaction, and learning skills such as sign language and Spanish.

“I teach the Gems the alphabet in sign language and when teaching Spanish I teach them body parts and colors. I want to expose the kids to different things.”  

Thomas prepares all the meals on the premises, which are served twice daily. Nutrition is very important to Thomas, particularly when so many kids today are obese, she said. So she he incorporates fruits and vegetables into their daily diets.

Precious Gems will start its first summer program this year, which will be the platform for bringing forth awareness about the center. PGFD accepts applications on a rolling basis, and payments on a sliding scale are available to families who qualify.

“In the first two to three years, I plan to be home based. By the fourth year, I will move to a commercial space,” Thomas said.

To find out more about PGFD, its registration and policies visit its website.