Our Philosophy:
Nurturing the Foundation for Growth
At Irina’s Child Care, our core philosophy guides everything we do. We believe that the earliest years of a child’s life are a unique and precious time, requiring a special approach centered on warmth, attention, and understanding.
Since 2010, we’ve been dedicated to
Brooklyn’s youngest learners.
Located at 36 1st Place, Apt. #1, Brooklyn, NY 11231, Irina’s Child Care has been providing a loving and stimulating environment for infants and toddlers since 2010. We understand that the earliest years are crucial, and we are dedicated to giving your child the best possible start.
Our Commitment
Our philosophy translates into a commitment to providing an environment where your infant or toddler receives the dedicated attention and affection they need to flourish. We strive to be partners in laying a strong, healthy foundation for a lifetime of learning and well-being.
At A New Leaf, school is:
Focused Care for Infants and Toddlers
Our program was intentionally created with infants and toddlers in mind. We recognize that this specific age group has distinct needs that differ significantly from those of older children. They are in a critical phase of development, learning about the world and forming their first important relationships.
The Importance of One-on-One Attention
We firmly believe that infants and toddlers thrive when they receive abundant, personalized, one-on-one care. Unlike older children who may engage more independently or in larger groups, the youngest learners benefit immensely from close, consistent interaction with their caregivers.
Love, Security, and Development
Having qualified, loving caregivers readily available to hold, comfort, and engage with each child is not just a priority for us – it’s fundamental. We understand that feeling safe, loved, and attended to is very important at this tender age. This consistent, nurturing attention builds security and trust, which are essential for:
A Healthy Start:
Providing the emotional security needed to explore confidently.
Proper Development:
Supporting cognitive, social, and emotional milestones.
Encouraging Exploration:
Giving children the confidence to interact with their environment and learn through discovery.
Our Founders
Kate McGregor
Kate is our Founder and Director, an educator and parent whose background and experiences pushed her to reenvision how school can bring out the best in children and the adults that love them. Kate has reinvented the wheel of elementary school, reconsidering every aspect bottom to top: from methods of learning, student and staff supports, programming, physical site design and prioritizing the acquisition of 21st century skills for students' fulfillment and success.
Kate believes that the children of today need something different in order to be prepared for a future that will undoubtedly require resilience, creativity, collaboration and an unshakeable belief in self; these lay a strong foundation for today's academic standards.
Heather Warwick
social language & communication specialist
Heather brings 25 years of speech-language pathology experience to A New Leaf (and we couldn't be happier!). As part of the A New Leaf curriculum, Heather will be serving all students with tailor-made, social language and communication lessons weekly.
Heather truly believes that every child has a unique learning path that should be celebrated and it is part of her life's work to help individualize support to optimize each child's communication skills along their journey.
Juli Rosenbaum
Juli brings over 20 years of teaching experience to A New Leaf. Her passion is nurturing children’s curiosity and creativity as they discover their own love of learning. Using STEAM-inspired topics and real world applications, Juli brings reading, writing and math to life in her classroom. In a nutshell, if Miss Frizzle from “The Magic School Bus” series were real, she just might be our Mrs. Rosenbaum.
Juli believes that school should be a place where every child’s ideas and thoughts are respected and valued. As a pivotal member of our Founding Team, Juli is excited to be part of our school that gives all children a chance to shine in their own way. Juli sees her job as an educator as bringing out the best in each child and has been integral in helping build our curricular approach at A New Leaf.
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