Our Story

 The Family Cooperative was a dream that started a decade ago.  One day in the BB&N lunchroom, teachers overheard other teachers frustrated about their children’s daycare centers. They could not coordinate the late hours with their early teacher schedules. The cost of daycare also seemed difficult to meet with a teacher’s salary, especially those that offered higher quality care.  Hearing about their problems, some teachers realized that BB&N would greatly benefit from starting their own daycare to meet the needs of the faculty and staff. They began a campaign to get the project approved by the administration and the board. After many years of discussions and logistics, the  plans became finalized and approved!
Early in 2012, teachers at BB&N began collaborating to establish committees and complete tasks that needed to be done. Consultants were hired to assist in the process and soon the project hit full steam. In December 2012, the name “The Family Cooperative” was voted on by members of the board and TFC was officially incorporated by the state of Massachusetts. By March 2013 construction at 46 Belmont had begun. Committees of teachers worked on all aspects of the daycare, including classroom design, curriculum, hiring, and by-laws. In July 2013, The Family Cooperative was officially licensed and all set to open. Teachers collaborated for meetings and discussions about curriculum and community. On August 19, 2013, the children arrived and the doors to The Family Cooperative were officially opened!  

We opened our doors to a community of educators from BB&N, as well as several other schools in our area.  TFC is now a vibrant community of teacher learners, including children, educators, families, alumni and friends of the school.  Quickly evolving beyond the traditional daycare model, The Family Cooperative has become a true Reggio-inspired early childhood center offering high quality care and education to the children of educators. TFC remains extremely grateful for the continued support of BB&N that allows our school to thrive and grow.

Our Philosophy

The purpose of the Family Cooperative is to serve the children of the faculty of BB&N as well as other educators in our area, in an inclusive, enriching, and nurturing educational environment.  It is our mission to care for and educate children through engaging in an emergent, child-centered curriculum in a cooperative setting that supports strong parental involvement.  The goals of our curricular practices are to facilitate children’s relationships within the community, explorations of their environment, and investigations of the world.  We strive to support children’s independence, empathy, and intellectual curiosity.
Our philosophy is based on the concept of an emergent, child-centered, developmentally appropriate practice, inspired by the Reggio Emilia early childhood centers. We work toward fostering the social, emotional, physical, and cognitive needs of children by taking the time to develop a unique relationship with each family and each child that comes to our center. It is important to us to create a nurturing, safe environment that serves as an extension of the home. Each piece of the child’s life, family, environment, school, peers, and teachers, engage in powerful conversations with each other, creating a coherent, integrated learning model throughout the life of the child. 
The Family Cooperative has a particular vision of the child as a competent, creative thinker who actively engages in the process of making meaning about the world.  Each aspect of the curriculum relates to this child and emerges out of the interests and pursuits of the children themselves.