Grow. Play.
Learn.
Providing infant & toddler care in a warm, nurturing home environment.
Welcome to Ellen’s Home Daycare, where children learn and grow through a play-based approach, enriched with age-appropriate themed activities that support child’s physical, social, emotional, and cognitive development.
We offer:
Small group care
A calm, home-like setting
Consistent routines that help children feel safe and confident
Ellen’s Home Daycare is located in Acton, Massachusetts and serves families from Acton and neighboring towns along the Route 2 corridor, including Concord, Boxborough, Harvard, Maynard, and surrounding communities.
Where Little Ones Grow, Play, and Thrive
Toddler Care
Our toddler program supports growing independence through play, routine, and gentle guidance. Children explore, create, and build social skills in a nurturing, home-like environment where they feel safe and confident.
Toddlers Care (16 Months – 3.5 years
Balanced routine and independence
Play-based Learning Approach
Learning Through Guided Play
Learning is woven naturally into each day through hands-on activities, exploration, and play. Children are invited to explore materials and activities that are thoughtfully set up by early childhood educators, with close supervision and gentle guidance throughout.
This approach allows children to build skills, confidence, and curiosity in a safe, supportive environment—while educators remain present to guide, support, and ensure age-appropriate learning at every stage.
Learning through guided play
Small, home-based environment
Development supported across all ages
Infant Care
Our infant program is built around one simple belief: babies thrive when they feel safe, loved, and understood. We provide gentle routines, warm attention, and a calm, nurturing environment.
Ages 3 Months - 15 Months
Gentle routines and supervision
Included in group moments
❊ Testimonials
Loved by Children, Trusted by Parents.
But don’t just take our word for it—here’s what families have shared with us over the years.
“I cannot say enough nice things about Ellen's Home Daycare. My son switched from a larger daycare center to Ellen's when he was 18 months. IT WAS THE BEST DECISION my husband and I ever made moving him to a smaller home daycare. Ellen and her staff are wonderful. They are creative, playful, structured, and most of all LOVING. My daughter, now 6 months, began going to Ellen's with her big brother when she was 4 months old. Ellen took the time to get to know both of my children prior to their first day to make sure the kids new her and she could play with them. Things I LOVE about Ellen's Home Daycare: The intimate setting of the extended Daycare to their home. Small number of kids. Consistent staff and open communication. As the business owner, Ellen takes immense pride in her daycare. I think this is an important distinction as she has a vested interest in how it is run, compared with larger daycare that have inconsistent staff. Ellen and staff are incredibly thoughtful and caring individuals. Our children are happy to go there and come home in great spirits. Ellen also does a great job taking pictures of the kids and doing fun videos along with having monthly themes. For example, August's theme includes the color yellow, obstacle course, Kids Olympics, nature's loose parts play, and as always a shout out to the children who are born that month. She also celebrates the children's birthday's with pizza and cupcakes. I would highly recommend this daycare. You will not regret it!"-
-Lisa Landers aka Jack and Vivian's mom, Maynard
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"We recently moved to Concord and were looking for a daycare for our youngest daughter when we came upon Ellen's. After the initial meeting with Ellen, we left with an overwhelming sense of relief and excitement, knowing we had found a daycare that would be an excellent fit for our young family.
Ellen and her assistant, Jane, are two of the most patient, caring, and experienced daycare providers. Our daughter not only LOVED going there, but she would ask every day if she could go. We were always kept in the loop about what was happening, as communication was top priority. They were also extremely conscious of cleanliness, health protocols, and ensuring everyone did their part to keep the children safe and healthy. We loved seeing the daily pictures of our daughter singing songs, playing pretend, and taking part in educational activities throughout the day. My husband and I would 100% recommend Ellen's to anyone looking for an incredibly well-run home daycare experience!
-Amy and Dan Killeen, Concord, MA
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"We toured a lot of daycares to find the right place for our daughter, Annika, before finding Ellen. After meeting her, my husband and I immediately knew we wanted Ellen to take care of our daughter while we were at work. Unfortunately, Ellen did not have an opening when we needed one, so we brought Annika to a daycare center for a few months first. At the daycare center, we'd walk in at the end of the day to a depressing room full of crying babies and get a lackluster summary of what she did, which I'm certain was the same for the other six babies in the room. After we switched to Ellen's, we'd arrive to find kids sitting in a circle, singing songs or playing nicely together, with bigger kids helping smaller kids. I have no idea how Ellen and Jane keep ten children so calm, engaged, attentive, and happy, but their kindness and patience are fantastic. She comes up with fun, varied activities, and I'm so impressed with how much Annika has learned in the past two years. There have been countless times that Annika came home doing or saying something new that we never even considered teaching her. They are also willing to use cloth diapers and are very supportive during potty training. At the end of each day, we get an email with a summary of what Annika did (potty, diapers, eating, napping, etc.) along with pictures and videos of some of their activities.
-Rachel and Matt Fuhrmeister, Acton
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You’ve got questions,
we’ve got answers
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We provide care for infants and toddlers from 3 months to 3.5 years in a small, mixed-age, home-based setting.
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Our program follows a play-based approach with age-appropriate themed activities. Through hands-on play, exploration, sensory experiences, songs, stories, and daily routines, children build cognitive, social, emotional, language, and physical skills in a warm, home-like environment.
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During the first couple of weeks, we follow each baby’s home routine as they transition from home to daycare. This helps infants feel secure and comfortable in their new environment. As they settle in, we gently and gradually adjust to our daycare schedule for feeding and naps.
I work closely with parents throughout this process to support each baby’s needs and maintain consistency between home and daycare.
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I believe open and consistent communication with families is very important. Parents are welcome to text me directly with questions, and they receive regular updates, photos, and videos through the Daily Connect app so they feel connected to their child’s day.
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Families provide their child’s food, including two snacks and lunch. Infant milk, formula, and baby food are also provided by parents.
For special occasions, such as birthdays or fun holiday celebrations, we may provide pizza and a some dessert. Parents are always informed in advance when shared treats are planned.
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Ellen’s Home Daycare is supported by two full-time educators who are dedicated, mature, reliable, and loving. Committed to creating a safe, nurturing environment where children are well cared for, engaged, and happy throughout the day.
Staffing levels are adjusted based on the number and ages of children in care and always follow EEC teacher-to-child ratio requirements. When caring for more than four infants, an additional educator is added to ensure appropriate supervision. On days with a smaller group, staffing is adjusted accordingly while maintaining a calm, well-supported environment that balances play and rest.
