Family Access of Newton

We've had a fabulous experience at Family Access over the past two years for both of our kids and are looking forward to another year ahead! Love the teachers, families, and facilities- great outdoor and indoor space. Lots of fun daily activities in and out of the classroom plus a ton of additional programming also (musical performances, movement class, magic show, visiting firetruck,etc.).

Family Access has been an extraordinary place for our children since we started in fall of 2023. We love the flexible hours (8 am- 6 pm), spacious facilities, and the bright, nurturing teachers who exhibit extraordinary patience and put together deeply enriching curriculum everyday. At Family Access, we have had exceptionally bright, passionate and intentional teachers who really know each child’s temperament, needs, and motivations, and use that knowledge to create individualized strategies that help kids thrive. These teachers communicate with parents well too: parents receive photos and other updates via the Brightwheel app each day. And pick-up time isn’t just a quick hand off, but a real conversation and collaboration about how our children are doing and growing. Staff turnover also appears to be relatively low—our son’s current teacher has taught at Family Access since the ‘80s! The program itself is rich, creative, and developmentally informed. Our preschooler has gone on nature walks, raised caterpillars into butterflies, read books about emotions, and taken field trips to places like grocery stores, churches, movie theaters, and other neighborhood landmarks. Our toddler does art projects, learns her ABCs, reads, sings, and does all sorts of sensory play and gross motor practice. When she was an infant, her teachers kept close track of milestones, sleep, and eating, and proactively looped us in about everything from new skills to practical needs. Children are frequently graced with special guests like magicians, musicians, firefighters and a traveling petting zoo. I know some parents feel there could be more music and art specialists, but I think for this age the teachers are sufficient. I do wish some of the teachers would initiate more singing/ music though. The facilities are also a differentiator—the classrooms are extremely spacious and even have play structures in them. Every day it seems the classrooms are readied with new toys, books, costumes and art supplies. There's a gym, so kids can run around even on cold and rainy days, and the playground includes a splash pad that provides plenty of revelry on hot summer days. Some of Family ACCESS’s policies have occasionally rubbed me the wrong way, but since we started in 2023, the non-profit organization has gotten a new Executive Director and the Early Learning Center has gotten a new director. Both are responsive to feedback and have implemented a good amount of change for the better. One of the things the new leadership is working on is reinvigorating the Parent Advisory Council (PAC). The PAC has organized several fun extracurricular events in recent months (e.g. “open gym” on the weekends), which has helped build a sense of community among families. Overall I would strongly recommend Family ACCESS. Our children love school and often don’t want to leave at the end of the day—a true testament to how safe, loved, and engaged they feel there. We feel incredibly fortunate to be part of this community!

We love it here very much. My two kids have been part of Family access for the last couple of years and we really appreciate all the staff, everyone does a great job. In addition, the facilities are great compared to other places, they have lots of room and multiple indoor areas that make the winter time more pleasant. Most of the teaches have been around for years, which brings also consistent educational approaches. It is also a place where you could build a community for your children and for you. We highly recommend Family Access as a great place to trust your children care and early education.

Family Access (and its processor organization) have served my family well over the years. One of my daughters attended the pre-school and later in life worked there. My spouse and I currently have a son who has been enrolled since turning 9 months old. He is currently in the pre-school program. The staff is qualified, dedicated and nurturing. The parents create a nice sub-community. The facility is terrific - although it is old, it is maintained well and provides children the benefit of lots of natural light (large windows), reasonably sized classrooms and specialty rooms, a large gym (key for the kids to have a space to get their ya-yas out during the cold dark winter days), and a large outdoor playground. Walks in the neighborhood are also a plus. No daycare operation is perfect, but Family Access is well worth considering for your family!

I recently got to know some of the teachers and staff who work at the Early Learning Center. They are so dedicated to the children. And the Center itself is spacious and bright. Their new library is a terrific resource for families.