Willis Avenue – Mineola
121 Jackson Ave, Mineola, NY 11501, USA
(516) 493-9830
Fax: (516) 493-9832
7:00 am – 6:00 pm • Monday thru Friday
Enrolling Your Children at Willis Avenue – Mineola
If you are interested in enrolling your child at Harbor Child Care – Willis Avenue – Mineola and would like to schedule a tour of our center, please fill out the following form to get started. Once you have completed online pre-registration, our center director will contact you to discuss your needs and can schedule a tour at a time and date that is convenient to you.
Willis Avenue, Mineola Center
Programs at our Willis Avenue Center begin at twelve weeks of age and children have the option to remain with us until the age of five. We have 15 classrooms dedicated to learning and socialization. Our capacity across all programing is 175 with staff ratios by OCFS regulations. We also have a registered nurse (R.N.) on a full-time basis.
Our hours of operation are Monday through Friday from 6:45 am to 6:00 pm. Children in our infant, toddler, and pre-kindergarten programs receive two nutritious meals and a snack prepared on-site, using the highest quality ingredients. Children with allergies and/or specific dietary needs are accommodated accordingly.
As a community-based organization, we have a responsibility to meet our community’s needs. Through the disbursement of need-based scholarships and our contract with Nassau County Department of Social Services, we seek to remove the economic barriers that prevent children from receiving the highest quality of early childhood educational programming that sets the tone for the rest of their academic career.
Meet Our Center Director
Lisa Virzera joined Harbor Child Care in 2009 and was promoted to Center Director of the Harbor Child Care Willis Avenue/Mineola Center in May 2017. She started with Harbor Child Care as a head toddler teacher, and was promoted to administration in 2013.
With her understanding of child development Lisa is responsible for 22 classrooms at the Willis Avenue/Mineola Center. Her responsibilities include but are not limited to ensuring full student enrollment for the infants, toddlers, and the preschool classrooms, as well as making sure that the program adheres to state standards and regulations. Lisa uses her past years of experience to continually grow in her position as well as further enhance the growth of the Willis Avenue/Mineola Center.
Lisa holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Childhood Education from SUNY Old Westbury, and a Master of Science degree in Early Childhood Education from Queens College.
Preparing Our Children for Kindergarten
The pre-kindergarten program at Harbor Child Care provides a supportive environment for all students. Our teacher-to-student ratio enables us to focus on the needs of each child within a carefully planned curriculum. Harbor Child Care employs The Creative Curriculum®, which is a widely known and respected research-based curriculum with clearly defined educational objectives. Every day is a learning adventure in our pre-kindergarten classrooms where children are encouraged and taught to become independent thinkers. Harbor Child Care addresses all the key areas of learning through play and focuses on challenging children appropriately through their developmental ages and stages. Educational programming becomes more structured and offers children an opportunity to maximize their ability to succeed.
The daily schedule provides a consistent structure to the day, allowing for the development of routines and rituals. However, it permits the flexibility and openness to follow children’s interest and address their needs. The curriculum encourages and supports a balance of free choice and teacher-guided activities and allows time for small and large group activities. Learning through play offers children hands-on experiences to develop problem-solving skills, social skills, and creative expression. Math, technology, science, and art components are strongly emphasized and are incorporated throughout the entire day through fun learning activities.
Community Matters in Mineola, NY
The Willis Avenue Center was built in 2003 as a pre-kindergarten and kindergarten school. In 2012 when the Mineola school district decided it did not have enough enrollment to sustain this school, Harbor Child Care signed a lease and has occupied the first floor of the building ever since. The Willis Center is a large facility comprising over 22,000 square feet and 18 classrooms with a student capacity of 356.
This beautiful and modern building sells itself as an excellent early childhood educational setting. It has a large gymnasium, a fenced-in playground, and large open spaces for group activities and meetings. Families from both Mineola and several neighboring communities have chosen the Willis Avenue Center to have their children educated in the early childhood years. It is an ideal location with proximity to the Mineola train station for working parents.
