Babies
6 weeks to 12 months
Group size: 6
A cot of their own and floor time every day.
- Full day7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. · 5 days a weekOffered
- Part weekThe days we agree on · 2 or 3 days a weekWaitlist
Family child care in Hermantown
One caregiver, a back yard and up to six children
Janine Engstrom cares for children from 6 weeks to 5 years in her home in Hermantown: one adult, one kitchen table and a yard for every season the weather allows.
License and group size
Who is here, and who licensed the home
The license, the size of the group and how we handle the daily things, in one place.
License
Licensed by DCYF
Family child care home · MN License # 000000Verify
Group size
Up to 6 children
with 1 adult
Ages 6 weeks to 5 years
Staff checks and training
- Background checks
- CPR and first aid
- Safe sleep training
- Mandated reporter training
Safety routines
Drop-off and pickup
Every child is handed over in person, at the door. Only the people on your pickup list take a child home, and Janine asks for ID from anyone she hasn't met.
Allergies
Tell us about any allergy at the tour. Once you enroll, we ask again in private.
Sleep
Babies sleep on their backs, in their own cot, with nothing else in the cot.
Clean hands
We wash hands when we arrive, before we eat and every time we come in from outside.
Ask us about child care assistance
Sample details.
Programs
Three age groups, one table and a schedule that fits
Everyone shares the house, the table and the yard. Pick the schedule that fits your week.
Toddlers
1 to 3 years
Group size: 6Blocks, stories and a good deal of stomping in boots.
- Full day7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. · 5 days a weekOffered
- Mornings7 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. · 5 days a weekOffered
- Part weekThe days we agree on · 2 or 3 days a weekOffered
Preschoolers
3 to 5 years
Group size: 6The kitchen table for puzzles, play dough and paint.
- Full day7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. · 5 days a weekWaitlist
- Mornings7 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. · 5 days a weekOffered
- Part weekThe days we agree on · 2 or 3 days a weekFull
Fees and what each is for
- Registration
- Opens your child's file and puts your family on the roll.
- Holding a place
- Keeps a place for your child until the first day. Janine explains at the tour whether it counts toward the first month.
- Supplies
- Paper, paint and craft materials that get used up.
Janine gives you the figures in writing at the tour.
Sample programs.
Janine Engstrom
Owner and caregiver
Janine looks after the children in her own home in Hermantown. She cooks the lunch, plays in the yard and meets every child at the door.
Janine grew up in northern Minnesota and has cared for other people's children at her kitchen table for many winters. She knows what a Hermantown February asks of a toddler's boots, and she plans the days around it. She would like you to meet her before you decide.
License and training
Family child care license
CPR and first aid training
Background study
Mandated reporter training
Winter at home
A minus-ten day at Snuggle
January in Hermantown is long. Here is how we spend the coldest mornings.
Dressing takes a while
Snow pants, boots, mittens and a hat each have a hook by the door. We dress slowly and together, and nobody is hurried.
Scarves and a cushion path
When it is too cold to go out, the living room turns into a gym: a path of cushions, scarves to wave and music.
Books on the rug
After lunch, a long story and a rest. The coldest afternoons are the coziest.
Out again when it eases
On the days it warms up a little, we go to the yard for a short turn and come in to something warm.
From families
What families say
“We toured on a gray Tuesday and the house smelled like soup. Janine showed us the boot hooks before she showed us the toys, and that told us how she runs the day.”
Libby K.Parent of a toddler
“One person knows both of my children. Pickup is a real conversation at the door, and I hear how the day went.”
Maren S.Parent of a baby and a preschooler
“She texts when the weather changes the plan, and she tells us what they ate and how the nap went.”
Tucker W.Parent of a two-year-old
Sample reviews.
How to enroll
- 01
Step 1: Get in touch
Call, text or use the form. Janine answers in the evening, once the children have gone home.
- 02
Step 2: Book a tour
Come for a tour with your child. It takes about half an hour, and it is the time to ask anything, including how tuition works.
- 03
Step 3: Register
Janine gives you the forms. You fill them in privately: your child's details, health and who may pick up go there, not on this site.
- 04
Step 4: The first day
Bring a change of clothes and gear that suits the weather. Janine suggests you stay a while, so the goodbye can be calm.
Families' questions
What ages do you take?
From 6 weeks to 5 years, in one mixed-age group of up to 6 children with 1 adult.
Can I see the house before I decide?
Yes. Book a tour and bring your child. It takes about half an hour, and you can ask anything.
What does a day look like?
Arrival at the door, play at the kitchen table, a snack, a story, outside or in, lunch, a rest and pickup.
What does it mean that the home is licensed?
DCYF, Minnesota's Department of Children, Youth, and Families, licensed this home to care for up to 6 children. The license number is at the bottom of every page.
What happens on very cold days?
We stay in. The day moves to the living room and the kitchen, and the Winter days page shows what that looks like.
What if Janine is ill?
A substitute the children already know steps in. If that can't be arranged, Janine tells you the evening before, or early that morning, so you can plan.
How does tuition work?
It depends on your child's age, the schedule and the days a week. Janine gives you the figures in writing at the tour. The Tuition page explains the rest.
Would you like to see the house?
Come for a tour, or call and ask Janine anything. She answers in the evening, after the last child has gone home.