Toddle Inn History

Our story started back in 1985 when owner and founder, Cheryl Carrier, found herself pregnant with her second child. She became frustrated in her search for safe, quality early child care within a clean, inviting environment which prompted her to become a stay-at-home parent.  She wanted families in the area to feel secure in sending their children to a nurturing, safe environment so later that year, she opened her Scarborough home to children in the neighborhood. She soon opened her home to the community, which quickly grew to surrounding towns, as she found parents seeking similar expectations.  Between the years of 1999 and 2008, Ms. Cheryl continued to meet this need for families in the surrounding communities by expanding to six locations with a combined capacity of 1,100 children. 

Ms. Cheryl and many family members continue to operate six centers as Toddle Inn Child Care located throughout the Southern Maine areas of – Auburn, Cumberland Foreside, Gorham, Scarborough, South Portland, and Westbrook.  At Toddle Inn, qualified early childhood educators work together with parents to offer a program of activities designed to facilitate the physical, cognitive and social/emotional development of children 6 weeks through school age.  We invite you to schedule a tour and see how Toddle Inn has grown over the recent years!  We are proud of our evolution and the strides we have taken to continue Ms. Cheryl’s mission of providing high quality child care and early education – helping families feel secure as they look out for the best interests of their children.

Enrollment Policies

  • Hours
    7:15 a.m. through 5:30 p.m. Monday Through Friday. (Times may vary by location)
  • Late Pick-up Fees 
    An additional fee of $3.00 PER MINUTE will be charged after closing.
  • NSF 
    Will result in a $25.00 service charge.
  • Tuition
    The only form of payment Toddle Inn accepts is withdrawal from your checking/savings account. Weekly tuition is due Friday prior to service.
  • Holidays 
    Please refer to yearly listing of holiday dates. If a holiday falls on a weekend, it will be observed on the day before or the day after the actual holiday. Toddle Inn will observe a one week vacation between Christmas and New Year’s (tuition is required).
  • Professional Development Days 
    Toddle Inn believes in the importance of continuing education and on-going training, therefore, we utilize a combination of minor holidays and Fridays as opportunities to sanitize the building, invite speakers, renew CPR and First Aid training, as well as explore updated techniques and best practices in the early education field.  Professional Development Days are announced well in advance and are listed on your yearly holiday closure list.
  • Workshop Days 
    With State and Federal laws requiring employees to be more educated and on-going training hours increased, we are using these holidays or workshop days as worked days for the staff. These days give us the opportunity to sanitize the building, invite speakers, review CPR and First Aid, as well as explore updated techniques and materials in the early education field.
  • Absences
    Full tuition payment is required for all weeks, and days, your child care spot is being reserved. This includes: center or personal vacations, absences for any reason, inclement weather or unforeseen center closures. Please call or message the center by 9:00 am if your child will not be in attendance for the day. 
  • Illness 
    Refer to Illness Policies.  It is expected that parents make arrangements for a child in care who requires pick-up (due to illness or injury) to do so within a 1 hour period.
  • Sibling Discount
    Toddle Inn offers a $25.00 sibling discount for 2 children, with a maximum discount of $50.00 for 3 or more children.
  • Registration
    A registration fee in the amount of $150.00 (non-refundable), updated immunization records, and a completed Toddle Inn contact are required to reserve your child position. The first week’s tuition will be deducted on the Friday prior to your first week’s service. At the time of initial registration, a Toddle Inn backpack or red t-shirt will be included. All children must be re-registered each year on the anniversary date of their initial registration. A re-registration of $75.00 will be withdrawn during your anniversary month; registration forms and immunization forms must be updated and returned at this time as well.
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