Business Spotlight: Tu Casa

It’s no secret that a quality education program for the youngest learners provides them with a solid foundation for the future. At Tu Casa, families and staff members are on a learning journey with children and set the tone for a child’s upcoming educational success.

Tu Casa in Raymond offers families of children ages 2 to 5
a great sense of community and collaboration in providing
quality Early Childhood Education to young learners.
SUBMITTED PHOTO  

Located at 10 Tenny Hill Road in Raymond, Tu Casa provides nature-based and play-based education with an introduction to the Spanish language for children ages 2 to 5 in a warm and loving environment. During the fall and summer months, most of the days are spent outside, including an occasional outdoor nap. During this time, students are dropped off outside, where there is ample space to explore. In the winter, they spend about two hours outside a day, depending on weather conditions, and the appropriate gear provided by families.

“We believe children should be in charge of their unique learning path through risk taking, experimenting and problem solving with adult guidance and care,” said Grace Emery-Freyre, Tu Casa owner. “We believe mixed ages, and mixed approaches to learning through private and public education makes learning relevant to the child’s life and creates a greater sense of motivation, freedom and joy around learning.”

In business for eight years, Tu Casa is going into its third year of partnership with RSU 14. It had five employees during the last school year, each providing unique experiences for the children and families.

“Tu Casa started as Tu Casa Childcare however, we are just calling ourselves Tu Casa, Emery-Freyre said. “On the logo we have added Tu Casa Early Childhood Education. This change is because of our public-school partnership. Changing the word ‘childcare’ to quality 'Early Childhood Education’ helps combat the stigma that early childhood education programs are just another form of babysitting. We are Early Childhood Education professionals.”

Families can enroll their child in a public Pre-K program within RSU 14 at a local early education center.

“In our case we are not a center, we are an in-home family childcare program. We are actually the only family childcare program partnered with a public school system in the state of Maine,” Emery-Freyre said. “This partnership is designed to provide a developmentally appropriate early care and education experience for children, ensuring a seamless and supportive transition between settings. All public Pre-K programs, regardless of setting, meet the same Chapter 124 standards as required by Maine’s Department of Education.”

Those standards include:

* Consistency for the Child: Consistent daily routine with trusted educators, which helps in building strong relationships and providing a stable learning environment. Partnership locations offer extended day programming outside the typical school schedule to offer consistency of care for working families.

* Collaboration for Success: RSU 14 works closely with local early childhood education programs to align early care and education practices, ensuring that children receive a cohesive experience that supports their development. Programs share the goal of fostering growth, creativity, and social-emotional development in children.

* Smooth Transitions: The collaboration between RSU 14 and local early childhood education programs help ensure that your child’s transition between settings is smooth, whether they are moving from home to childcare or from Pre-K to Kindergarten.

“Private families that enroll in our program are usually families with children under the age of 4 because they are not old enough to enroll in public Pre-K,” Emery-Freyre said. “Private families pay out of pocket a weekly or monthly fee.”

Emery-Freyre had been working in education for several years before starting Tu Casa.

“I really wanted to create the space on my own because I strongly believe that the environment does most of the work for the child’s learning,” she said. “In other work settings, I didn’t have the opportunity to create my own philosophy – so creating Tu Casa was a passion project, which is why I believe it has been so successful.”

Tu Casa’s hours are from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and it follows public school scheduling and observes all holidays, vacation weeks, and snow days as RSU 14.

“The most significant aspect of what we do would be a great sense of community and collaboration to provide quality programming for young children,” Emery-Freyre said.

Enrollment for the new school year is now underway for students ages 2 to 5.

To learn more about Tu Casa, call 207-396-0256 or visit www.tucasaschool.com <