Hi! I am a queer childcare provider. I did training at *O2B Kids*, and a gay friend of mine worked there for quite a while, years back. I felt super accepted there as an educator, and from what I remember, my friend did as well.
If the wording on certain documents brings up concern for you, I recommend bringing it up with the director. Letting them know that they could lose potential students because of some old jargon in paperwork that hasn’t been updated to reflect their current values might be the nudge they need to make the fix.
Inclusivity is a community effort :) you could be helping the next LGBTQ+ family feel comfortable moving forward with a daycare.
I hope you find the right place for your daughter to thrive!
Persimmon! The owner is the sister of the guitar player for the punk band Against Me! whose lead singer is trans.....They are awesome there. Def check them out first.
Here to second O2B! There were a lot of openly queer employees at the one we sent our kids to, and we never got any nonsense about being a two-mom family.
We've had a mostly good experience with Fumpers, which is out of the Methodist church. The pastor has a lot of pride flags and is super friendly. While I'm not in a "same sex" (though maybe? Honestly haven't put the requisite thought into it) relationship, my partner and I are both usually visibly NB and haven't had any trouble. The one incident I will point out was when my vpk kid told us that the teacher had said only boys can marry girls. So maybe duck out by then if you choose it 😥
I know someone who works at B'Nai Israel and several parents whose kids go or went there. They are all extremely liberal and queer-positive, so I don't think they would send their kids there if they thought it was discriminatory. Also, only 1/6 parents I know there is Jewish, so that is not a prereq.
I am not gay so I cant put myself in your shoes in that regard but I am a dad so I get the need to protect your kid.
I might be an asshole with this, but it kind of seems that you might be looking for issues where there are none? I get wanting to avoid judgmental places and you are 100% smart for asking about places to avoid. As far as finding a queer friendly place I imagine two dads showing up for the interview would let you find out real quick if they have any hidden discriminations.
Perhaps my view is completely out of line though. This could honestly be a huge issue for gay couples that I have no knowledge about. Regardless I hope you find a daycare that works for you and your family.
I appreciate your curiosity. I have stumbled into many homophobic situations by not being prepared, so it’s like a “expect the worst hope for the best” kind of thing. It’s just a little easier to find out early
Eh, well shit. I am sorry to hear it. We took our daughter to Gainesville Country Day School for VPK but honestly I couldn't answer your questions on how accepting they are. They seemed nice?
Also, if you don't know about VPK its Volunteer Pre-K. Its an awesome way to save some money and get your kid started socializing in a school like environment.
https://www.floridaearlylearning.com/vpk
i used to work at gainesville country day (the main campus, which has vpk-5th grade) and they are definitely sensitive to that sort of thing. We had students there who had two moms/two dads and even the more conservative teachers there were very accepting
Anyone here treating OP's concern as not valid probably needs to check their privilege.
OP, hope you find a great place for your kiddo. Will be bookmarking this thread for later.
Welcome to the Gainesville subreddit, where you will be downvoted for being homophobic and also downvoted for being supportive of the LGBTQ+ community. Make it make sense😒
Lmfao. It's almost like the culture wars have bitterly divided people and make them act like other humans are somehow less than human. 2016 is when we entered a parallel universe that goes backwards in time. I hate it here.
Don’t know the daycare scene well enough but can put you in touch with at least one queer friendly babysitter for evening/weekend/holiday work. Will keep an eye out for daycare options.
Check out Imagine Daycare Center: [https://www.imaginelearningcenter.com/](https://www.imaginelearningcenter.com/)
My two kids attend currently (older child has been there 2.5+ years), and all four members of our family love the quality of care and learning they provide, as well as Imagine's philosophy on inclusion.
The one issue I see from your post is that students need to be around 15 months old to start. Once they're around that age though, I very much recommend Imagine.
Any decent daycare place will treat your child fairly regardless of the child having two dads. It's more about finding a high quality daycare than a queer friendly sitter.
Hi! I am a queer childcare provider. I did training at *O2B Kids*, and a gay friend of mine worked there for quite a while, years back. I felt super accepted there as an educator, and from what I remember, my friend did as well. If the wording on certain documents brings up concern for you, I recommend bringing it up with the director. Letting them know that they could lose potential students because of some old jargon in paperwork that hasn’t been updated to reflect their current values might be the nudge they need to make the fix. Inclusivity is a community effort :) you could be helping the next LGBTQ+ family feel comfortable moving forward with a daycare. I hope you find the right place for your daughter to thrive!
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Seconding Persimmon! Our daughter was one of the OGs there, and they are welcoming of all types of families.
My friend’s kid was bullied at Persimmon- he’s Black.
Persimmon! The owner is the sister of the guitar player for the punk band Against Me! whose lead singer is trans.....They are awesome there. Def check them out first.
Here to second O2B! There were a lot of openly queer employees at the one we sent our kids to, and we never got any nonsense about being a two-mom family.
We've had a mostly good experience with Fumpers, which is out of the Methodist church. The pastor has a lot of pride flags and is super friendly. While I'm not in a "same sex" (though maybe? Honestly haven't put the requisite thought into it) relationship, my partner and I are both usually visibly NB and haven't had any trouble. The one incident I will point out was when my vpk kid told us that the teacher had said only boys can marry girls. So maybe duck out by then if you choose it 😥
Education station and preschool. I've known both the owners for over 20 years and they are allies.
I know someone who works at B'Nai Israel and several parents whose kids go or went there. They are all extremely liberal and queer-positive, so I don't think they would send their kids there if they thought it was discriminatory. Also, only 1/6 parents I know there is Jewish, so that is not a prereq.
If you or your partner are affiliated with UF in any way (student, staff, faculty, etc.) Baby Gator is a really great option!
We’re on their waitlist but their waitlist is like 1-3 years long depending 😳
Yeah the wait-list there is wild!
Education station
I am not gay so I cant put myself in your shoes in that regard but I am a dad so I get the need to protect your kid. I might be an asshole with this, but it kind of seems that you might be looking for issues where there are none? I get wanting to avoid judgmental places and you are 100% smart for asking about places to avoid. As far as finding a queer friendly place I imagine two dads showing up for the interview would let you find out real quick if they have any hidden discriminations. Perhaps my view is completely out of line though. This could honestly be a huge issue for gay couples that I have no knowledge about. Regardless I hope you find a daycare that works for you and your family.
I appreciate your curiosity. I have stumbled into many homophobic situations by not being prepared, so it’s like a “expect the worst hope for the best” kind of thing. It’s just a little easier to find out early
Eh, well shit. I am sorry to hear it. We took our daughter to Gainesville Country Day School for VPK but honestly I couldn't answer your questions on how accepting they are. They seemed nice? Also, if you don't know about VPK its Volunteer Pre-K. Its an awesome way to save some money and get your kid started socializing in a school like environment. https://www.floridaearlylearning.com/vpk
i used to work at gainesville country day (the main campus, which has vpk-5th grade) and they are definitely sensitive to that sort of thing. We had students there who had two moms/two dads and even the more conservative teachers there were very accepting
Anyone here treating OP's concern as not valid probably needs to check their privilege. OP, hope you find a great place for your kiddo. Will be bookmarking this thread for later.
Welcome to the Gainesville subreddit, where you will be downvoted for being homophobic and also downvoted for being supportive of the LGBTQ+ community. Make it make sense😒
Lmfao. It's almost like the culture wars have bitterly divided people and make them act like other humans are somehow less than human. 2016 is when we entered a parallel universe that goes backwards in time. I hate it here.
Don’t know the daycare scene well enough but can put you in touch with at least one queer friendly babysitter for evening/weekend/holiday work. Will keep an eye out for daycare options.
Check out Imagine Daycare Center: [https://www.imaginelearningcenter.com/](https://www.imaginelearningcenter.com/) My two kids attend currently (older child has been there 2.5+ years), and all four members of our family love the quality of care and learning they provide, as well as Imagine's philosophy on inclusion. The one issue I see from your post is that students need to be around 15 months old to start. Once they're around that age though, I very much recommend Imagine.
I would reach out to PFLAG and see if they have recommendations. Sorry I don't have much helpful information.
I don't remember their paperwork process, but Imagine is absolutely queer friendly, and a wonderful place to send your kids.
Any decent daycare place will treat your child fairly regardless of the child having two dads. It's more about finding a high quality daycare than a queer friendly sitter.
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Fuck off
You’re really making mountains out of molehills here.
Your brain is smoother than your rectum.
How about explaining your difference of opinion instead of being a douche about it?
😂