Tutor Time

I was so anxious about maternity leave ending and heading back to work (my daugher was almost 4 months). As all working moms know, the idea of leaving your child is nearly impossible!!! THANK GOODNESS FOR TUTOR TIME! On our first day, Tutor Time was organized and welcoming. They had everything set up for my daughter (crib, drawer for her belongings, tray in the fridge for her bottles… all labled with her name and picture). I had previously dropped off a bag of extra items (sheets, clothes, etc…) and everything was already unpacked and in her drawer. The teacher was expecting her and ready for us, even when we came at 7am (when they first open). The caretakers are WONDERFUL and had her personality nailed right away. I called a few times that first day and they put me through directly to her classroom so I could speak to her caretaker/​teacher. Everyone was so reassuring, and my daughter was all smiles when I picked her up. She loves going everyday.
They are very supportive of the schedule you put your child on. Her feeding schedule, naps, etc… are always on time. They are also supportive of breastmilk/​feeding.
The director, Miss Monica, is organized and personable. She knows every child’s name and every parent’s name. She greets you with a smile and is happy to help with anything you need.
Security was at the top of my husband’s priority list, and this location has a security code and fingerprint scan to get in the front door. They also do safety drilling once a month so teachers are prepared in the event of an emergency.
The weekly cost does not vary based on hours. It is one flat rate for 7am — 6:30pm, which is more hours than I found at several other daycares in the city.
Going back to work would have been ten times harder if it weren’t for the wonderful staff at Tutor Time. I have peace of mind knowing my daughter is here everyday. I am so thankful to have found this place!

I recently took a tour of Tutor Time on 38^th. Our daughter is currently at the Tutor Time location across town (on Avenue of the Americas) and we’re very happy there — but we’re thinking of moving and we’ve noticed there’s a greater selection of two-​bedroom apartments in Murray Hill.
We were given a tour by the Center Director, Nadia, who was friendly and competent. She’d been at the center four years. The lobby had a clean aquarium (which to me is a sign of good maintenance.) The two infant classrooms and the front desk were on the first floor. The other classrooms (maybe four or five of them) were in the basement level, along with a little-​kid indoor playground, a big-​kid indoor playground, and a «Tutor Time village» with a pretend firehouse and supermarket. It was naptime when we visited so things were pretty quiet, and we didn’t get a chance to talk to any of the teachers directly.
Nadia is obviously proud of the Center’s strong educational program, which lets kids be kids while preparing them for kindergarten. A large percentage of her students go on to private schools.
I noticed three main differences between the two Tutor Times.
First, ownership. Tutor Time on 38^th is «corporate», meaning it is owned and managed by a company whose parent is apparently owned by Morgan Stanley. The facility is overseen by a «district manager» who also has responsibility for 11 other Tutor Times, and is on site about once every two weeks. Tutor Time on Avenue of the Americas is «franchised», meaning there is a real owner who is typically at the facility about once a week and (in my experience) is a good businessman with high quality standards.
Second, size. Tutor Time on 38^th has a typical enrollment of about 90 kids, in about 6 – 7 classrooms. Tutor Time on Avenue of the Americas is much larger — maybe 200 – 300 kids or so. I somewhat prefer the larger school, as it has more administrative capacity (Director, Assistant Director and Educational Director), and more extra programs (like little-​kid soccer), although the facilities between the two schools compare well.
Finally, natural light — Tutor Time on Avenue of the Americas is a second-​floor location with lots of windows, which I like.
Both Tutor Times seem to have good staff and a child-​friendly environment, open til 6:30 pm, and very similar pricing of about $ 2K per month.

I took a tour for the infant rooms. I think the older kid programs would probably deserve more stars — the toddler and preschool rooms looked better. The biggest problem is that there is one large infant room that is overcrowded and sparse with toys and one small infant room that is perfect. 12 babies go in the crowded room, 6 in in the perfect room, and you don’t have any say over where your baby goes. The director stated that everything is done the same way in both rooms, but that’s just not what I saw. The 12 baby room was understaffed and it looked dirty, to be frank. The six baby room was clean and inviting with the same number of sitters for half the number of babies. The schedules the infants are on are probably the same, but that’s about it. Also, with how much they charge, I think they could provide more for the infants. Or at least hire more staff — they looked completely exhausted. It made me question the facilities’ priorities. Of course it’s a business, but other places with the same rate are providing more inviting environments for the infants. The outside lobby looked great, but that’s not where my kid would spend their time.