Welcome to Sagewood Childcare

---

Sagewood Childcare is transitioning into a clearly defined Infant Collective—a warm, relationship-based community serving infants and young toddlers 6 weeks through 30 months.

This identity simply names the work we are already doing:

• small ratios

• responsive caregiving

• predictable, calm environments

• strong relationships with families

For current families: this is a name that reflects what we’ve been doing all along. For new families, welcome to The Infant Collective!

The Infant Collective is a calm, relationship-based caregiving environment for children ages 6 weeks–30 months. Instead of traditional daycare classrooms, we offer a small, home-like setting where infants and young toddlers are supported by consistent caregivers who follow their individual rhythms, needs, and developmental cues. Children remain in the Infant Collective until they are ready to transition to our Reggio-inspired Schoolhouse, creating a gentle, secure early childhood experience.

At Sagewood, our Infant Collective is lovingly influenced by the Reggio Emilia concept of the Nido — the nest. In Reggio philosophy, the Nido is a child’s first community: a calm, relationship-centered environment where babies feel secure, understood, and deeply cared for. It is a space shaped by soft light, natural materials, predictable routines, and gentle caregiving that honors each child’s rhythm.

Within our Infant Collective, children move through two developmentally meaningful stages:

Hatchlings (approximately 6 weeks–12 months) are our youngest babies, nurtured through close, responsive, one-on-one caregiving as they begin discovering the world. Their days are slow, comforting, and guided entirely by their individual cues.

Chirpers (approximately 12–30 months) are emerging explorers—mobile, curious, and eager to engage with their environment. They express themselves through sounds, early language, and joyful discovery while still grounded in the safe, predictable nest of consistent caregivers.

Children remain in the Infant Collective until they show early signs of readiness for the Schoolhouse, ensuring a thoughtful, supported transition when the time is right.

We believe babies and young toddlers thrive when care is unhurried, responsive, and rooted in connection. At Sagewood, we follow each child’s natural rhythm rather than a rigid, center-wide schedule. Our days are shaped by feeding and sleep needs, sensory exploration, time outdoors, and quiet moments of comfort.

This foundation allows children to feel safe and deeply known, and prepares them to transition to our Reggio-inspired Schoolhouse when they are truly ready.

Why We Serve Children Up to Age 2.5 in the Infant Collective

One thing that sets Sagewood apart is that we do not follow the traditional childcare structure where infants, young toddlers, and older toddlers are separated into strict age-based rooms (6–12 months, 12–18 months, 18–24 months, etc.).

Traditional daycare models often divide children by age for logistical reasons — class size, licensing, ratio requirements, “curriculum blocks,” or staffing schedules.

But we know something very different:

Many children are still deeply in that infant–toddler bridge at 18–30 months:

• They need one-on-one attention
• They still rely on attachment-based caregiving
• Their routines are changing frequently
• Their regulation is developing
• They require predictable, calm environments
• They thrive with caregivers who know them intimately

This is why we intentionally serve children from 6 weeks to 2.5 years old within the Sagewood Infant Collective.

Not because they are “behind.”
Not because they’re not ready to learn.
But because they are still in the baby phase — emotionally, developmentally, and relationally.

And this phase deserves to be honored.

Sagewood Childcare operates inside the First Unitarian Universalist Society of Exeter (FUUSE) at 12 Elm Street in Exeter, NH. Our program is housed within thoughtfully arranged, home-like classroom spaces designed to support comfort, regulation, sensory exploration, and gentle movement as children grow.

Families enter through the Sagewood doors, where our caregiving team welcomes infants and young toddlers each morning. Throughout the year, we use both our nurturing indoor environments and the surrounding outdoor spaces, giving children daily opportunities for fresh air, peaceful exploration, and supported discovery at their own pace.