Bet Shalom Yeladim: A daycare center that helps parents stay connected
by Maura Lerner Fisher
Lauren Jamnick knows there are plenty of daycare centers closer to her home in Minneapolis. But she doesn’t mind driving half an hour to drop off her 1-year-old daughter, Lital, at Bet Shalom Yeladim, the synagogue’s popular early childhood center.
“It’s worth it to schlep out here,” she says. For one thing, it’s a chance to bond with other Jewish parents. And for another, she can keep tabs on her daughter all day long — without, as she puts it, “bugging the teachers.”
In some ways, Bet Shalom Yeladim (BSY) is one of the unheralded gems of the synagogue.
On weekdays, while the sanctuary is dark and quiet, the floor below is bustling with life thanks to a childcare program that has been growing — and evolving — with the times.
What began as a small, part-time preschool some 20 years ago has blossomed into a full-time daycare center with up to 74 children ranging in age from 6 weeks to 5-years-old. Its popularity has grown so much since the pandemic that the staff has doubled the number of rooms for the youngest children, and some age groups still have waiting lists.
A large part of the appeal, says Jamnick, a mother of two, is the program’s combination of a staff steeped in TLC, Jewish culture, and high-tech innovations that give parents a virtual window into their child’s day.
Want to know when (or how long) your child napped? What they ate for lunch? Even how many diaper changes they had? Those kinds of details, plus photos and much more, are updated by staffers throughout the day on an app called Daily Connect. The younger the child, the more information they track on a personalized link that mothers and fathers can check on their phones.
“I love the Connect app,” says Jamnick, who readily admits that she checks it “all day long.”
It’s a level of communication that parents a generation ago could only dream of.
“This is very, very helpful,” says Brett Thominutt, the assistant director, who also has two children in the program. “It’s the prime way of tracking the billions of things you need (to know).”
The app includes a personal checklist for each child, with icons for mood, potty training, behavior and other updates, along with the ever-popular photo gallery. “There’s also real time messaging, we can send messages to parents if there’s a question,” said Iris Mascio, the center’s director. “It’s a really cool app.”
Allie Brooks, the mother of 1-year-old Lucy, says it’s particularly reassuring for first-time parents like her. “It just gives me a sense of peace knowing what she’s doing and that she’s OK,” she said. “They’ll post pictures, which I love, at least once a day. It’s just nice to see that she’s happy there and thriving.”
Jamnick loves the fact that she can check on her daughter without “bugging the teachers as much.” So even before she arrives to pick her up, she said, “I’ll know if she’s had a good day.”
While Bet Shalom Yeladim is open to children of all backgrounds, it has a distinct emphasis on Jewish history and culture, which is woven into its fabric.
In between the typical daily routines (story time, naps, playtime…) you might see 4-year-olds learning to make challah and say the HaMotzi blessing. Beyond the holidays, the staff works to embed a Jewish spirit into the curriculum.
“The way that I look at it personally is that it’s about creating memories,” says Thominutt, the assistant director. “I’m not worried about them knowing the true story of Chanukah. My priority is that when they’re 10 or 15 or turn 37, and they think back to celebrating Shabbat, it’s a plethora of warm and fuzzy feelings.”
For parents like Allie Brooks, that was part of the appeal when she chose BSY for her daughter. “For me, it’s really important for her, even at such a young age, to be part of the Jewish community and have that culturally Jewish upbringing,” she said.
Lauren Jamnick adds that she has been especially impressed with the level of care that the staff has shown to her own daughter.
“I feel like I’m giving my baby over to a family member to take care of,” she says. “I chose the school because it’s Jewish and building community. I feel like she’s being raised by her Bubbie.”
For more information about Bet Shalom Yeladim, go to its website, www.betshalom.org/bet-shalom-yeladim, or contact director Iris Mascio at iris.mascio@betshalom.org.