Parent Testimonials
My son LOVES extended day. He is often mad when I pick him up “too early”. The staff is excellent, and he is able to run around with his friends, playing games and having a great time after school. I would highly recommend MLEDP to others!
Nicole Hauptman Amick
– How has the program supported your child’s social/emotional growth? My son is an only child so the socialization that MLEDP provides is always welcomed. He looks forward to spending time there and almost always spends at least a half hour there before I pick him up. It’s also obviously much needed for days that I’m scheduled to work a little later than others. It doesn’t happen often, but when it does, it’s nice to not have to worry about where he is.
Jean-Pierre Bonasso
– How long have you been using the program? This is our fourth year of using MLEDP
– What does your child enjoy most about attending? Free time with his friends. He typically likes to go to the gym. Sometimes he really enjoys the trivia days and looks forward to any special reward days.
– How does our staff make a difference for your family? The staff is and has been very welcoming and friendly. My son is always comfortable with them and I now he’s in good hands.
– What specific moments or experiences stand out to you? Just the general good times had at the end of the school day. He doesn’t like to spend hours there after school, but definitley enjoys a nice hour of play and less structure after a grueling day of 4th grade!
– What do you value most about the program? The welcoming environment and the peace of mind knowing that he’s safe and in good hands until I can come to get him.
– Would you recommend the program to other families—and if so, why? Absolutely would recommend. If you can afford it and you need it, it’s well worth it. The long days provided at a very small fee are crucial if you need that coverage as a lot of times we don’t have the same days off work to align with some of the no school days. The extended day experience can be all that your child needs depending on how involved he or she would like to get. There is always some type of activity happening or they can just relax and have fun with their friends.
As parents who are both teachers we enrolled our children in the Extended Day Before Care program because we need to be at work before our boys’ school day begins. The only expectation we had was that the boys would have somewhere to go for 45 minutes every morning that we knew we could trust. However, our experience the past 2+ years has been so much more than that! Our boys LOVE going to Extended Day. They race to the door, jockeying for position to ring the doorbell every morning. Once there, we know they are cared for so genuinely by the staff. I cannot fully express how incredible the staff is; we trust them wholeheartedly. What has really impressed me is how much learning takes place during that time as well. The boys have learned about topics ranging from Mount Everest to the Bermuda Triangle. What?! We had no expectation that educational opportunities like these would take place! All in all, our experience with MLEDP has been much more than we could have imagined. We’re grateful an organization like this exists to support our kids!
Casey Bowles
Our daughter is in her second year of Extended Day care (1st grade). Due to our work schedules, she attends both morning and afternoon care. She is excited each Friday when the schedule of events and crafts comes out for the following week. We pick days each weekend to stay “late” so she can finish the activities of her choosing. Lately, she likes to stay most days! She feels connected to the staff members, and each day upon drop off, she easily goes in, and at pick-up, she is consistently engaged with the teachers and students. We appreciate the time and energy the staff puts into the crafts and themes, and that they actually sit with the kids to do the games and projects. We know she is in good hands, and she is happy at Extended Day.
Melissa Dapper
What’s the mark of a great after-school program? I’ll give you two.
Jennifer Weiers FitzGerald
— When my 4th grader rattles off an interesting fact or beats us to an answer on Jeopardy! and I ask him where he learned it, nine times out of ten the answer is “at Extended Day.”
— Too often to count, we arrive to pick up our son and he asks us to leave and come back so he can continue to enjoy the day’s activities. Eventually we just started picking him up later so he won’t miss anything.
Not knowing any better, I initially expected MLEDP to be little more than an extension of the school day that my kids might view as a burden. Thankfully, I couldn’t have been more wrong. I credit the marvelous director Peter Yohe and his crew at WES for making the Extended Day program a fun, enriching and memorable experience for both of our boys who attended.
My oldest child, Adriana, is in kindergarten this year. We hope to have both of our younger sons be part of this program due to the positive impact it has had on their sister.
Alana Zanetta
Throughout the week, our daughter comes home and the first thing she mentions is a fun activity she did in kindergarten care. One specific instance was during a social/emotional activity where she proudly showed me the bracelet she made, describing how each bead represented a different emotion– feeling loved by her family, happiness, etc. She very much enjoys the incentives such as earning reward days, and how the staff values input from the students on which type of reward it would be. She also enjoys the guided yet free opportunities to create art, such as a poster-sized self-portrait which has found its home on our wall. I also appreciate how the staff sends lesson plans in advance detailing particular themes of educational value. Our daughter often comes home excited to share new facts she has learned about history and culture. The program is well-organized, full of supportive staff, and is a safe environment where families can drop their children off with confidence.
I can not say enough good things about the mledp program. I have had my second kid go through the program currently and this has been our best experience with childcare. They both have been to 2 different daycare and preschools in both NYC and here and I have not experienced such care, compassion and love .
May Jabra
Ms Liz, Emelia and Jennifer are truly the best child care providers I have ever met. They know how to navigate emotions of children with such care and genuine compassion.
They teach the kids how to deal with dispute at such a young age and how to manage their big feelings with such ease and understanding. They do so many fun activities and just have a great time!
I can go on and on but my heart and mind are at ease knowing my kids are in their care.
We love MLEDP! We have been a part of the program for three years and now have two children in the program. The staff is absolutely the best. For the kindergarten program at Hoover, the staff is so warm and friendly. It is clear how much they genuinely love children and that this is more than just a job for them. For the extended day program at Markham, both my children love all of the activities that are offered to them. There is always such a variety to choose from that includes gross and fine motor skills. They are also so proud when they get voted as All-Star and the other daily incentives that are provided for good behavior and listening. Again, it is so clear that the staff wants to be there and enjoys children. We will plan to attend the summer fun program again this summer if we are fortunate enough to get into it and will continue with extended day for the next few years. We honestly cannot say enough good things about MLEDP and the staff. We have had such a positive experience and love to share our love for MLEDP!
Bridget Kozlowski
As a family, we are incredibly grateful for our experience with MLEDP. All three of our kids were enrolled in Kindergarten Care at the Hoover location over the years, with our last one attending during this 2025-2026 school year. Our older two love to stop by when the timing works and see the staff they remember from their Kindergarten year; a testament to the positive experience they had! Our youngest, Ethan, loves all the different activities and projects, always bringing home a piece of artwork and showing us with pride or raving about an in house field trip from the Science Center. He also loves morning meeting and has practiced giving compliments at home, which he learned from Ms. Liz! Ms.Liz, Ms. Jennifer, and Ms. Amelia at the Hoover location are warm, inviting, and all have a very calm presence. They give space for me to comfort our kiddo if he’s having a hard time, or will help him get distracted if I have to rush out from drop off. They are all incredible at supporting us as parents, with whatever we prefer or need for everyone to start the day right! I feel like my kids are incredibly well cared for, listened to with patience, given guidance and coaching when needed, and provided with a sense of safety and care which gives us peace of mind to be away from them while we work. I truly feel so fortunate to have had such a superb level of care for my Kindergarteners over the years!
Carrie Powers
This is my son’s fourth year attending extended day and I am so grateful to know that he is in a safe, trusted, fun place during those after-school hours. Some days I have to drag him out of there because he’s having too much fun! The teachers are phenomenal as well and are without a doubt the core of this program’s many outstanding attributes. I enjoy chatting every day at pick-up! Thanks for everything!
Todd Pungratz
My son loves extended day and actually asks to arrive early and stay late. As a parent, that peace of mind is invaluable. I can work a full day without guilt, knowing he’s happy.
Kristen Shimmel
MLEDP staff is always very friendly and professional.
Dan Taylor
The staff always provides a variety of activities for the kids.
My daughter really enjoys her time at MLEDP. She often asks me to pick her up later so she can stay longer!