More about The Nest
The Nest at New Hope is a licensed family child care home serving up to 16 children ages 6 weeks to 5 years. The Nest is an Indiana Paths to Quality Level 4 early learning program, nationally accredited by the National Association for Family Child Care, offering full-day care, Monday through Friday, between the hours of 8:20am and 5:00pm during the COVID-19 pandemic. At other times, our hours are 7:30am-5:30pm.
Our Philosophy
The Nest at New Hope is committed to whole-child development and individualized care. We believe that children are inherently competent and that the best way to help children discover this competency is through intentional playful learning experiences that
Are informed by each child’s specific developmental path
Allow plenty of time for self-directed play
Encourage children to use all of their senses to explore new materials and situations
Engage children with high-quality, healthy, carefully selected materials both indoors and out
Place a premium on process-based art and experimentation
Emphasize intentional interactions with the natural world
Actively encourage curiosity and discovery
We believe that every child deserves to feel safe, feel seen, and feel respected.
About meals
The Nest provides breakfast, lunch, snack, and supper at no additional cost. Our nutritional coordinator prepares fresh, nutritious meals on-site daily, while also providing families with wrap-around food supports as needed. We provide formula for infants up to 13 months old and support breastfeeding families. Our food curriculum follows The Ellyn Satter Institute's research-based approach to intuitive eating and feeding. For a sample weekly menu, please click here.
About the learning environment
The Nest follows all Indiana Home Licensing Regulations, Paths to Quality 4 requirements, and NAFCC Accreditation Quality Standards, including Safe Sleep, sanitization practices, background checks, CPR/First Aid and on-going teacher and director education and training.
The Nest is a screen-free learning environment, featuring high-quality, battery-free learning materials. We promote natural gross motor development.
The Nest uses a continuity of care approach. This means that students stay in the Infant/Toddler program of up to eight Hatchlings until around 35 months old, and then gently transition into the PreK program, where up to eight 3-to-5 year olds play and learn together until kindergarten. Our consistent, highly qualified Lead Teaching Team is predictably present, allowing for deep and meaningful relationships to blossom through primary caregiving practices.
“We’ve been waiting for you to come to this place...Wherever you’re from, we’re so glad you’ve come...” -Tom Hunter
Our Curriculum
The Nest at New Hope's emergent, play-based curriculum is a reflection of our students, their interests, and their unique developmental stages. Highly qualified teachers foster exploration, discovery, creativity, and curiosity through purposeful modifications to the learning environment, language-rich interactions, and responsive caregiving routines. Our unique Plot-to-Tot curriculum framework integrates developmentally appropriate Indiana academic, social, emotional, and motor learning standards with hands-on gardening and cooking experiences. Our students enjoy large blocks of open-ended time to play, create, read, sing and climb both indoors and outside on our outdoor classrooms, at our community garden plot, and on the B-line Trail. (photos of children gardening, cooking)
“Play is the work of childhood.” -Jean Piaget
About Enrollment
The Nest welcomes children of all income levels and prioritizes enrollment for children impacted by homelessness in a mixed-income cohort. The Nest accepts out-of-pocket payments, CCDF voucher subsidies, and On My Way PreK subsidies. To see if you qualify or to apply for the CCDF or On My Way Pre-K subsidy programs, click here.
Families of all income levels are encouraged to apply for enrollment.
To discuss enrolling your child/children, please use our waitlist request form. If you are interested in a tour of our facility, please contact us using the information below to schedule.
The Nest at New Hope
Director: Amie Messer
Email: amie@newhope4families.org
Phone: 812-558-4505