D&D Daycare rated best in Uniondale

TrustedCare recognized D&D Daycare as the best daycare in Uniondale.

This year marks 25 years since the daycare on Uniondale Avenue first opened its doors. It was co-founded by business partners Daryll Cokely and Denise Larcher, and they continue to run it together. They received their recognition from TrustedCare on Aug. 13.

“It was a real blessing to get this recognition on the 25th year (of operation),” Cokely said.

D&D has been a staple in the Uniondale community since its 1999 opening, according to Cokely, and their year-round programs for children ages 18 months to 5 years are always full, with a total of 91 kids in this year’s summer program.

They also offer before- and after-school programs from 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. for kids up to middle school, whose parents or guardians’ work hours conflict with school hours, and Cokely said their after-school program roster is already full.

They even have a transportation system where they pick up elementary and middle school students on a bus owned by the daycare at the end of the school day and bring them to the after-school program. They also provide breakfast, lunch, and snacks.

Throughout the year, the daycare places an emphasis on the balance between having fun and actively learning.

“We try to (have the kids) learn to play, but what I like to call it is give them the meat and potatoes where they have reading skills and writing skills,” Cokely said. “You really have to be in the business of impacting children’s lives.”

TrustedCare is an online childcare “marketplace” that helps parents and guardians find reliable child care, according to the TrustCare website. The company’s recognition of D&D Daycare is a direct result of the daycare’s reputation of serving families throughout Uniondale and in other communities, according to Cokely, including Hempstead, Westbury, and even Levittown.

“Everything is basically word-of-mouth recommendations,” he said. “We’ve had three generations of children come to our program. Children that attended here have brought their kids back here.”

To learn more about D&D Daycare, call (516) 292-8140.