With 2 years of success, Learning Garden is growing

Kelcy Dolan
Posted 8/20/15

Back in 2013, Raquel Fortuna and Carla Kaplan first opened the Learning Garden in Warwick Neck. Now, just over two years later, the childcare center has seen such success the sisters and business …

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With 2 years of success, Learning Garden is growing

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Back in 2013, Raquel Fortuna and Carla Kaplan first opened the Learning Garden in Warwick Neck. Now, just over two years later, the childcare center has seen such success the sisters and business partners are building a 2,500-square-foot addition of three classrooms. They broke ground on the project in June and plan to have it completed this fall.

Kaplan, whose background is in construction financing, estimated that by the time the addition and renovation of the playground are finished the total project would have cost $500,000.

Currently, the Learning Garden is running at maximum capacity with 44 children. All of their programs are filled, but they have a “long and strong” waiting list. With the new addition the daycare and preschool center will be able to nearly double their capacity to 79 or 80 children.

“People who started with us are beginning to expand their families, have more kids,” Fortuna said. “Warwick Neck has a nice sense of community and we want to continue being a part of that.”

Kaplan said that initially the two had considered opening a second location rather than make an addition but decided that they would rather strengthen community ties. Fortuna said one thing that sets her daycare apart from the others is their “homey atmosphere.”

“I know every child by name,” she said. “We know their parents, their grandparents and their babysitters. We take pride in that, and we are not going to lose that with the addition.”

Kaplan said the Learning Garden is perfectly set in a “perfectly suburban” area, so the students can feel safe on the playground and take walks through the neighborhood. The children often walk to Rocky Point with their teachers.

“The kids can go outside and explore here,” she said.

With one location Fortuna can continue to be at the center on a daily basis rather than splitting her time between two.

“Having Raquel there every day, is what ensures things run smoothly,” Kaplan said. “The quick success and strong customer base is a testament to Raquel’s programs.”

Fortuna has been working in a daycare setting for most of her working life. Throughout high school she worked at childcare centers and then graduated from the University of Rhode Island with a degree in human development and family studies. She ran her own home daycare for several years before opening the Learning Garden.

The addition will also help the Learning Garden be better able to have age specific and “milestone” curriculums. For example, with the new space Kaplan and Fortuna plan on separating the infants into two groups.

Regulations from the Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF), say an infant is considered six weeks to 18 months, but as Kaplan and Fortuna point out, there is a huge difference in the needs and capabilities for children within that age range.

Fortuna said, “Creating smaller and more specific age groups provides safer and a more focused environment for everyone. Every child can be in a developmentally appropriate classroom.”

The additional classrooms will also let the teachers distinguish between preschool and pre-kindergarten for those students who are a year out of school or just missed the age cutoff. For the pre-K students there will be a greater focus on reading and writing, preparing the children for kindergarten level work.

All of the classrooms focus on “learning through play,” having teachers make observations or ask questions throughout the day to get students engaged in the learning process, while students have fun.

“We want to promote interest and curiosity,” Fortuna said. “They make friends and have a great day because they have so many opportunities to learn.”

With the expansion, the Learning Garden is also looking for three new classroom teachers as well as teaching assistants.

For more information on the Learning Garden visit their website, www.thelearninggardenri.com. For those interested in applying for the six available positions email Director Raquel Fortuna at Raquel@thelearninggardenri.com.

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