Babies
6 weeks to 12 months
Group size: 6
Their own cot, and a spot on the floor by the window.
- Full day7:30 am to 5:00 pm · 5 days a weekOffered
- Part weekThe days we agree on · 2 or 3 days a weekWaitlist
Registered family child care, Colchester, Vermont
A small home with a dad in the room and boots by the door
Mitten is a family child care home run by Mathias: up to 6 children, ages 6 weeks to 5 years, with 1 adult. We go outside in every season.
Registered with the state
What you can check before you come
The registration, how many children are here at once, and what we do each day.
License
Registered with DCF Child Development Division
Registered family child care home · VT Registration # 000000Verify
Group size
Up to 6 children
with 1 adult
Ages 6 weeks to 5 years
Staff checks and training
- Background checks
- CPR and first aid
- Safe sleep training
- Mandated reporter training
- Food handler training
Safety routines
What registered means
Registered is the state's word for a family child care home like ours. The Child Development Division has our name and address, and we keep to its rules for homes: up to 6 children at a time, with 1 adult. Larger programs follow a different set of rules. Ask to see the registration at your tour.
Drop-off and pickup
Every child is handed over in person, at the door. Only the people on your pickup list collect a child, and we ask for ID from anyone we don't know.
Naps
Babies sleep on their backs, in their own cots, with nothing in the cot. Older children rest on mats after lunch.
Allergies
Tell us about any allergy at the tour. Once you enroll, we ask again in private.
Cold and icy days
When the weather is too harsh to go out, we play inside, and we text families before drop-off.
Ask us about child care assistance
Sample details.
Programs
One mixed-age group, and the schedule that fits your week
The children share the house and the yard. Choose a schedule by your child's age.
Toddlers
12 months to 3 years
Group size: 6Blocks, stories and as much outside time as the weather allows.
- Full day7:30 am to 5:00 pm · 5 days a weekOffered
- Half day7:30 am to 12:30 pm · 5 days a weekOffered
- Part weekThe days we agree on · 2 or 3 days a weekOffered
Preschoolers
3 to 5 years
Group size: 6The long table, paint, and getting their own boots on.
- Full day7:30 am to 5:00 pm · 5 days a weekOffered
- Half day7:30 am to 12:30 pm · 5 days a weekWaitlist
- Part weekThe days we agree on · 2 or 3 days a weekOffered
Fees and what each is for
- Registration
- Covers your child's enrollment file and a place on the roll.
- Holding a place
- Keeps a place for you until the first day. We tell you at the tour whether it goes toward the first month.
- Supplies and outings
- Paper, paint, and the occasional trip to the library or the park. We tell you at the tour how each is handled.
Sample programs.
Mathias
A dad in the room, and the one who answers the door.
I opened Mitten in my own house, with my own kids' friends at the table. Some families come because they want a man in the room, and some just want someone calm who knows the routine. Either way, I make the lunch, read the same three books again, and get everyone into their boots.
Registered and trained
Registered family child care provider, DCF Child Development Division
Background checks, first aid and CPR
Mandated reporter training
The winter plan
We go outside in winter too, and we get dressed for it together
Six things go out the door with every child. They live on a hook by the front door, and Mathias checks them before we go.
If the weather is too harsh, we play inside and text families before drop-off.
What each child brings
Waterproof boots, one size up so thick socks fit
Snow pants or bibs that go over everything
A winter coat that zips with a little help
Two pairs of mittens, one on and one drying
A hat that covers the ears, and a neck warmer
A full change of dry clothes
How to enroll
- 01
Step 1: Get in touch
Call, text or use the form. Mathias answers in the evening, after the last pickup.
- 02
Step 2: Book a tour
Come with your child, see the house and the yard, and ask anything. Plan on about half an hour.
- 03
Step 3: Register
If there is a place, we send the enrollment forms through the family portal. The medical and pickup forms are filled in there, privately.
- 04
Step 4: The first day
Bring a full change of clothes and, in winter, the six things on the gear list. Drop-off is at the door, and we start slowly.
Questions
Families' questions
What ages do you take?
Children from 6 weeks to 5 years, in one mixed-age group. Up to 6 children are here at once, with 1 adult.
What does registered mean?
Registered is the state's word for a family child care home like ours. The Child Development Division has our name and address, and we keep to its rules for homes: up to 6 children at a time, with 1 adult. Larger programs follow a different set of rules. Ask to see the registration at your tour.
Can we visit before we decide?
Yes. Book a tour, bring your child, and see the house, the yard and the hooks by the door. Ask whatever you like.
What does a day look like?
Play and stories in the morning, outside time, lunch at the table, a rest, and a quiet afternoon. The order moves with the weather and with the youngest children's naps.
What happens if Mathias is ill?
We text families as early as we can, and we go over the backup plan with you at the tour, before you enroll.
Who else is in the house?
It is Mathias's family home. Anyone else who may be in the house during the day is someone we introduce to you at the tour.
How does tuition work?
It depends on your child's age, the schedule you choose and the days a week. We share the figures on our enrollment page and at your tour.
What do the children wear outside in winter?
Boots, snow pants, a coat, mittens, a hat and a change of dry clothes. The full list is on the winter days page, and the hooks by the door are where it all lives.
How do I join the waitlist?
Tell us your child's age and when you hope to start, by the form or by text. We write back when a place opens in that age group.
Would you like to see the house and the boots by the door?
Come for a tour with your child. We answer calls and texts in the evening, after the last pickup.