Finding the right childcare is challenging. Not only is it expensive but in a place like Austin, as in most large cities, wait lists are long. Parents hold spots at the best day cares before they even have children to fill them. We understood that we’d have to make some comprises when choosing a day care. We feel extraordinarily lucky to have found Green Monkey. Not a single compromise was necessary.
Green Monkey is an in-home day care that incorporates respectful principles and practices play-based learning. The ratio of children to adults is small. It is chemical free. Meals are plant-based, no processed foods. The owners, Ruby and Adrian, cook fresh pasta and bread for the kids, introducing them to new flavors and cultures at lunchtime. The kiddos often “help” with cooking. They have a lovely garden where the children experience growing their own food. It is near a park where the kids can run in open fields or ride their balance bikes or fly kites. The owners are bilingual, singing Spanish and English songs with the class. Because it is a small group of children, we are building a community with the other families. Weekends are full of birthday parties or other opportunities to connect.
Why it matters: It takes a village.
The owners of Green Monkey aren’t just setting new standards for child care, they are offering to teach others to do the same. Their vision for care extends beyond their own home and into the homes of others. Ruby and Adrian offer consultation services that range from helping an existing childcare facility become more green to establishing brand new home day cares that follow their model of healthy, wholesome childcare. It matters because it’s not all about expanding their own business to take in more kids. It’s about creating a bigger greener village that will enrich the lives of more children. It’s about a rising tide lifting all boats. Green Monkey is sharing their very special gift with as many as they can, and in doing so transforming childcare in a genuine, positive and enduring way.
Powerful Purchase 