Parent Stories
"Vera has been attending Sunflower Daycare since she was 4-months-old. We were so nervous to send her to daycare but were immediately relieved by the love and nurturing atmosphere provided by Kasha, Tatiana and Beatta. They made Vera feel so special and cared for. Vera was so happy everyday when one of them opened the door! It has meant everything to us to have an affordable, neighborhood daycare where we fully trust all those who provide for her. Vera transitioned downstairs in September and quickly warmed to Monique, Maribel and Jessica. They are like an additional set of parents and often Vera is having so much fun that she doesn't want to come home when I pick her up! I don't know what we would do if Sunflower closed. It is a shame that the Department of Health is giving thirty families one weeks' notice to find alternate care and employment for the staff. We are committed to doing everything we can to keep Sunflower open!" - Leia Petty, Vera's mom
"It just seems crazy that the Department of Health wants to shut down this day care facility with only a week's notice, with the only given reason being the unfortunate passing of the owner. We had to be a on a waiting list for six months to secure a spot here. Other nearby providers have similarly long wait lists. I would hope that the Department of Health would work with us, the parents and providers, to ensure continued safe care for our children, rather than leaving working parents with no recourse. We're working parents without immediate family in the New York area, so as of now we're not sure what we're going to do." - Scott MacMillan, Isabella's father, age 13 months
"On Friday night when parents were gathered with staff to hold an emergency meeting about our daycare closing, I was there with my 20-month-old son, Elliot. In the chaos, Elliot would reach from my arms for Beatta or Jessica calling them 'mamma.' There have been many afternoons that one of the providers has walked Elliot out with me because he is sad to leave. They know his favorite songs, his favorite foods, when he is teething and how to make him feel better. Leaving your child with other people every day is never easy, but the staff at Sunflower make it feel like we're leaving him with family and that makes all the difference." -Emily Giles, Elliot's mom
"Miles has been at Sunflower since September 2016. Leaving your child with another caretaker is one of the hardest things to do and something that working families all struggle with. The caretakers at Sunflower showed such love, devotion, and professionalism in working with Miles that I never felt anything but confidence when leaving him with them. The caretaker's at Sunflower are doing the some of the most important work out there- helping to raise our children. It is of absolute importance that they are treated with the respect they deserve and receive their just compensation." - Alaina Taylor, Miles' mom
"My nine-month old son, Grant, has been at Sunflower for only five months. But in that short amount of time, we've come to love, trust, and depend on our son's caretakers Tanya and Beatta as if they were family. In turn, their affection for Grant, and all the other children, is self-evident. They even continued showing up to work despite receiving no pay for their labor for the last three weeks, because they cared so deeply about the kids. It is so hard to find affordable, high quality daycare in Brooklyn: rents are astronomical, and there are simply not enough facilities to accommodate all of the children who need care. My husband and I don't know what we'll do if Sunflower cannot continue to exist in some form. Ilene, Sunflower's late owner, was largely uninvolved in the day-to-day operations of the daycare but I am still saddened by her untimely death. However, it is unconscionable that her children have been preying on the kindness of the caretakers and the parents' lack of knowledge of Ilene's illness for their own financial enrichment." - Laura McElherne, Grant's mom
"Leaving your child in the care of others is always hard for parents of young children. But with the staff who cared for our children at Sunflower, we found it easy because they didn't just care for our kids, they loved them. We've had both our kids at Sunflower since they were 7 months old- Oliver, who is now 4.5 years old, was in the program until he was 3, and Frances, our daughter, who is 19 months old. The staff provided a warm and loving environment for our kids to grow, play and thrive. The daycare providers feel like family. We can't imagine not having them in our lives and caring for Frances."
-Dahlia and Michelle McManus, Oliver (age 4) and Frances' (19 months) moms
"Having to go back to work after having my son Oliver, was one of the most challenging moments of my life and I never would have been able to do it without the staff at Sunflower. My son is 20 months old and has been at Sunflower since he was 4 months old. Everyday I am grateful to be able to leave him in the care of the staff who are nurturing and caring and truly love our children. My son is thriving at Sunflower with the staff and his friends, many of whom have all been together since they were infants. The thought of not having the daycare providers and families at Sunflower any longer is truly unimaginable".
-Alicia Barnatchez, Oliver's mom, 20 months
"My son Walter has attended all three locations of Sunflower, starting in the baby room at 7 months old and moving downstairs to the toddler room at 10 months and has been at the Greenwood location since the beginning of the Fall. He has adored all of the amazing staff and loves playing with the other kids. This situation is heartbreaking and frustrating. Ilene's medical situation was an awful shock, but that the family had been aware for months about the gravity of her situation and that no thought was given to the ongoing provision of services is inconceivable to anyone who understands how expensive and straining it is to find quality childcare and how valuable that service is to families. Then to find out that the money that had been paid a month in advance for the work the incredible care providers did not go to them and is missing just adds insult to injury. To top it off, no one from Ilene's estate has contacted us directly about any of this. This whole thing is just a complete shock. All of the families working together to find temporary solutions, however, provided a real ray of hope that we can find a solution that allows most of the kids to stay together with these great and dedicated caretakers." - Aline Fader, Walter's mom
"The DOH should show much more sensitivity. It is just impossible for working parents in NYC to find alternative childcare, teachers to ensure their continued employment, and all affected parties to seek legal recourse for an extremely unjust situation — ALL within one week." - Shweta Advani, Kaya's mom, 16 months
"The employees at Sunflower have watched our two children for almost five years and have given us incredible peace of mind through their consistent and conscientious care. They deserve far better than to be stiffed out of weeks of pay and left one week to try to cobble together an alternative to provide them continuing employment to support their own families. I hope that the city, and in particular the DOH, can quickly assist the employees and parents caught up in this mess." - Mike Liskow, dad to 2-year old daughter at Sunflower
"Our son started attending Sunflower in October. Though it's only been a few months, the childcare providers have more than exceeded our expectations and we have loved sending him there. We thought that shifting to daycare would save us from last minute stresses and scrambles that come with having babysitters, such as when a sitter is running late or gets sick--- because daycares are supposed to be dependable businesses. Now we find ourselves without care for our son as well as having lost our childcare payments made in advance. The fact that the employees have been paying for our children's lunches out of their own pockets (lunch was supposed to be included in our childcare payments) is unbelievable. The fact that they have gone without pay for several weeks is unacceptable! We hope the DOH or some other city agency can help us! We feel stressed and stranded. " - Jessica Lorenz, mom of 2-year-old son at Sunflower
"Making the decision of who was going to care for my 3-month-old baby was one of the hardest decisions I have ever had to make. Upon meeting the staff at Sunflower, I immediately felt at ease and a sense of peace. I knew I was doing the right thing for my baby. Sadie is now 19 months and every day when I pick her up, she is happy and can't wait to tell me about what she's learned that day. I trust the staff with all of my heart and am devastated that our daycare has been shut down with no notice to parents or staff. This situation has created a crisis situation for all of us, and I can only hope that we will be supported by our city in keeping sunflower open." - Julie Russell, Sadie's mom
