Toddle Inn Childcare

The Toddle Inn Child Care Center/Nursery School was founded in 1985 by Cheryl Carrier. The center originally started as a day care home for 12 children that was concerned with the developmental and educational needs of the children in the area. A nursery school for 12 children was added at the Methodist Church site in 1990. In 1993, the day care home and nursery school combined to become Toddle Inn Child Care Center, Inc. located at 605 US Route One in Scarborough, Maine. At this time, Toddle Inn employed six people.

From 1993 to 1995 the center expanded twice to accommodate the growing need for more services for infants (from six weeks old) up to school age children. Since we were serving and teaching school age children, the need for a private elementary school arose. In the summer of 1995, we received state and local approval to open a private elementary school. The school serves pre-Kindergarten through first grade. After the third expansion in the fall of 1995, Toddle Inn employed 23 people. In January 1999, we built our own 7,500 sq. ft. building in Scarborough to accomodate 162 children at 9 Lincoln Avenue. In September of 1999, a 9,450 sq. ft. building for 182 children in Gorham was opened. A second location in Scarborough at 152 U.S. Route One was acquired in January of 2000, serving 162 families. Our third 8,250 sq. ft. center is located at 10 Thomas Drive, Cumberland Foreside, accomodating 182 children. Our South Portland center, located on Gary Maietta Parkway, is 10,125 sq. ft. and accomodates 182 children. Opened in 2005, the Saco center is the same size as South Portland, accomodates 200 children and is located. The Auburn Toddle Inn was opened in January 2006. The Auburn center is currently located on Mount Auburn Avenue, but construction is underway on a new 9,375 sq. ft. center.

Toddle Inn Day Care operates from 7:00a.m. to 5:30p.m. from Monday-Friday. The half-day Nursery School operates from 8:30a.m. to 11:30a.m. Trained early childhood educators, working together with parents, offer a program of activities designed to facilitiate the physical, cognitive and psychosocial development of children six weeks to school age.