Welcome to our hive!
Honey Bee Hollow is a nurturing, play-based family child care program in Branford created especially for infants and toddlers from 6 weeks through the September of their third year.
The first three years are an extraordinary time of growth. At Honey Bee Hollow, these years are given the time, attention, and care they deserve. Our small, home-based setting allows children to form secure relationships, follow their natural curiosity, and grow at their own individual pace.
Our days are filled with play, sensory exploration, outdoor experiences, music, movement, stories, and hands-on discovery. Natural materials and open-ended experiences invite even our youngest children to touch, explore, experiment, and make discoveries about the world around them.
Our Approach
Infants and toddlers learn through relationships, movement, repetition, exploration, and play. Rather than expecting young children to fit into a predetermined schedule of learning, we carefully observe each child and create experiences that support what they are ready to discover next.
Our environment and activities grow along with them—from tummy time, reaching and grasping to first steps, first words, sensory discoveries, imaginative play, growing independence, and emerging friendships.
Because Honey Bee Hollow is a small family child care program, we are able to truly know each child. Their routines, temperament, interests, developmental progress, and individual needs help shape their days.
We believe childhood should not be rushed. Our goal is to provide a safe, loving, engaging environment where infants and toddlers feel secure enough to explore, confident enough to try, and deeply connected to the people who care for them.
We also value the unique backgrounds, cultures, traditions, and experiences of every family and strive to create an inclusive community where every child and family feels welcomed and respected.
Meet Mimi
Affectionately known as Mimi by her grandson—and now by the children she cares for—Mimi brings more than 30 years of experience in early childhood education to Honey Bee Hollow.
Her career has included working as a nanny, operating a family child care program, and serving for more than a decade as the director of a large licensed child care center. Those experiences ultimately brought her back to what she loves most: providing young children with the individualized attention, meaningful relationships, and unhurried childhood experiences that are possible in a small family child care setting.
A lifelong nature lover and proud member of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), Mimi believes that even the youngest children are capable, curious learners. She creates opportunities for babies and toddlers to explore through play, sensory experiences, movement, nature, and meaningful everyday interactions.
Beyond Honey Bee Hollow, Mimi is a founding member and leader of the Connecticut Family Child Care Coalition, advocating for children, families, and family child care educators throughout Connecticut.
As a mother of three and a grandmother, she understands that choosing someone to care for your baby or toddler is about far more than finding child care. It is about finding a place where your child will be known, loved, encouraged, and genuinely happy to spend their days.
“At Honey Bee Hollow, children are invited to slow down, explore together, and discover the simple magic of childhood through play.” 🌿
— Mimi
Create Your Own Website With Webador