Serving wobblers, toddlers, and preschoolers
Welcome to Jata's CareOur Mission
What We Stand For
At Jata’s care, we believe in cultivating positive and authentic self-esteem in children, which enables them to initiate and engage in their growth and learning, helps them self regulate their behavior, and make thoughtful decisions through an awareness of how their actions affect their own well-being and that of those around them.
Our Philosophy
Core Concepts:
Healthy, positive, and authentic self-esteem is the foundation of a child’s well-being, growth, and learning. Each child is born with a distinctive temperament that is essential to identify, understand, accept, and celebrate. It is this recognition and acceptance that creates the right environment for the child to build an authentic sense of self. Children raised with this approach become capable of recognizing and accepting their strengths and limitations, become comfortable with who they are, and become able to strive to be their best.
It is important for children to understand that their decisions, thoughts, and actions affect their own well-being and that of those around them and that they are responsible for the consequences of their decisions. To encourage this, I use numerous opportunities and provide assistance for children to engage in the process of problem-solving and conflict resolution. I am mindful of the language I use and encourage them to express their thoughts, ideas, and reasoning. When children evaluate their choices in the context of the guiding principles: we take care of ourselves, of each other, and of our things, they are able to make appropriate decisions without fear of authority or need of approval. This allows them to regulate their own behavior inappropriate and compassionate ways, helps them trust themselves and helps others trust them, and contributes immeasurably toward building their self-esteem.
I value meaningful partnerships with clients based on trust and respect so that we work as a team towards our shared goal to provide the best and consistent care for the child. These partnerships are built beginning with the intake interview and continuing through daily communication as well as extended meetings. I hold these meetings with clients after daycare hours on a regular basis where we have time to engage intensively with each other, and where I can give them substantive advice. In addition to these modes of communication, I invite all my clients to attend periodic workshops to foster a sense of community and for us to learn from each other.
Since many other adults affect children’s lives, I encourage clients to share our co-developed insights and caregiving philosophy with other relevant adults like grandparents and babysitters for the child to benefit from a consistent approach. When required, with permission from the parents, I work with other providers including babysitters, kindergarten teachers, and therapists to promote the wellbeing of the child. I learn from and work closely with these professionals in order to support each other in our efforts.
Location
Red Hook, NY
Hours of Operation
Monday-Friday, Year-Round
Contact us
845-750-6822
A Word
From Our Director
Hello! I am Sujata, lovingly called “Jata” by the children and families I serve at Jata’s Care. I have been working with young children and their families since 1990 in a variety of settings – NGOs, private schools, and my own daycare – serving families with diverse economic, cultural, and ethnic backgrounds. I hold a master’s degree in Social Work with specializations in early childhood development and family counseling, and an associate’s degree in Child Development. I focus on healthy partnerships to foster mindful introspection of our ideas and actions to serve each child’s best interests.
– Sujata Sethi
Testimonials
What Parents are Saying
“We started our 21-month old at Jata’s after he’d been with a nanny during weekdays 9-6 since 3 months old. The group dynamic was very new to him, and Jata handled a sensitive transition with thoughtfulness, affection and insight. His social world now centers around Jata’s and he talks constantly about his friends there and the many things that he has learned to do (drawings, puzzles, sharing toys of all kinds). I was drawn to Jata’s initially because of her empathetic and reasoned approach to conflict resolution and her emphasis on building a child’s confidence. I have been thrilled to see my son grow and thrive there. I feel secure that each day he is there, he is safe, happy and learning..”
“Jata became a part of our family during the three years in which she cared for our son. She provided him a beautiful social framework from which to interpret the world and an abundance of affection. He learned to appreciate the needs of others while exploring the boundaries of playfulness. We can’t imagine his life without her influence and are so grateful for the wisdom that we gained from her depth of experience..”
“My son Alberto Verrilli (now 12) was with Sujata from age 3 months until he started school. I have recommended Sujata to every other parent looking for daycare in the Hudson Valley. Sujata, in our opinion, is the gold standard for child care. She is not only highly experienced in this work she is also an expert in early childhood development and her philosophy and practice with the children has lasting affects on those she has cared for. She is not baby sitting your child, she is working with them in the context of who they are and who they will become. Her follow up, feedback, advice and experience brought so much more to our family than just the times our son was with her. I still consider her a source of advice and knowledge as I am now into the pre-teen years. I believe the cost is worth every penny. I would always be happy to talk in person to anyone considering working with Sujata.”
“Sujata took care of my son from the time he was just two months old until he entered the Bard Nursery School. He learned so much from her about getting along with his peers, and expressing himself effectively. She was an amazing guide for the kids in their day-to-day ebb and flow of energy. She got her whole group of kids to focus, make art, play physical outdoor games, and nap, in ways that fostered their individuality, while raising their awareness of community. My son made some friends he will have for his whole life, including Sujata and her family..”
“Our daughter, Cindy, has been with Sujata since she was 7 months old (she is 14 months now). As a first time mom, I was very nervous about going back to work and putting Cindy into daycare, especially after having the privilege to be with her for the first 7 months of her life. But we fell in love with Sujata the moment we met her. She has such a kind and warm presence with the children and parents alike and immediately put our minds at ease. My good feelings about her daycare were instantly reaffirmed when we saw all of the children arrive each day with such excitement and enthusiasm, running into her arms. She has a miraculous way of helping each child to become the best version of themselves while also teaching them each to be compassionate and respectful toward others. I could not be happier with the person Cindy is becoming under Sujata’s care. It is just so wonderful to be able to go to work each day without the slightest worry about the care our daughter is receiving.”
“We have known Sujata for many years and have been the lucky beneficiaries of her parenting advice in raising our now 11-year old son. When we had our second child Ana, there was no question in our minds that we would send her to Jata’s Care. Jata’s philosophy of raising a child focuses on nurturing kind, compassionate, resilient and independent children. Over the last 2.5 years we have become one team that shares this goal. Through her parent workshops and our frequent conversations we have learned how to be more effective parents for both our children. It is very telling that our daughter refers to Sujata as “my Jata.” To us this means that in Jata Ana sees a supporter who is there for her. Jata indeed has been there for Ana in a very powerful way: in reaffirming that Ana is capable of handling the problems she faces, that she can make her own choices and that, at the end of the day, she always has a shoulder to lean on. We feel fortunate that through her experience at Jata’s Care we have been able to give Ana such a strong head-start.”
“Our daughter has been with Sujata since she was 11 months and has flourished in her exceptionally patient and loving care. Sujata works closely with even the youngest children to develop their concentration and social skills while awakening their interest in a range of activities stimulating the senses and imagination: from singing and dancing to drawing, reading, building worlds of cardboard blocks, and learning about distant continents. We have seen the remarkable benefits of Sujata’s influence reflected in our daughter’s sense of curiosity, fascination with books, eagerness to explore, and always surprising enthusiasm for helping clean up. We feel very lucky to have found such a wonderful caregiver and heartily recommend Sujata to other parents.”
“We can recommend Jata’s Care with whole-hearted enthusiasm!! Our daughter attended Jata’s Care from when she was 15 months old until she started nursery school. In that time, we saw her blossom under Sujata’s warm guidance. We loved Sujata’s approach from day one: she not only works with each child’s individual personality, giving them tools to communicate and modeling for them how to listen to and respect others, but she also works with parents and thereby nurtures a strong sense of community. We have made many friends within this community ourselves and our daughter is fast friends with her cohort from Jata’s Care. Her transition to nursery school was remarkably smooth, thanks to all the loving care and guidance she got at Jata’s. We miss Jata’s Care, but we’ll be back soon with our second child and look forward to it!”
“My son spent several years with Sujata before entering Kindergarten. Sujata is a kind, loving, nurturing yet disciplined teacher and provider who cares deeply for her children. I loved the distinct range in age of the children under her care. With infants up to six years old, the children learn to care and watch for and help each other and it’s a wonderful thing to see. Noted by every school teacher since Sujata’s, is the compassion my son has for other children, people and all creatures. He is also very self confident, self aware and feels very free to be his own person.”
“My son has simply blossomed under Sujata’s care. I was very hesitant to put him in daycare at all (after all, I took care of my daughter on my own just fine). But he loves the other children and especially loves Sujata, and I can tell he appreciates the warm and inspiring environment she has created. He looks forward to going to [Jata’s], and on days we stay home he always asks when we are going again, letting me know what project or puzzle he wants to get to work on. Sujata has nurtured his natural curiosity about the world, and has helped keep him a happy and loving little guy.”