By Jasely Molina
A resourceful daycare provider found that it was essential to teach toddlers the
fundamentals, etiquette and confidence needed in order for them to thrive in Pre-K and
Kindergarten. After working as a warranty administrator, she felt that it was time to change up
her career path, become her own boss and be a nurturing mentor for children.
Plattsburgh Daycare Provider Courtney Claffey opened her home-based daycare business
in 2 Onondaga Lane two years ago. She has found the homonymous business to be a success.
Claffey had previous experience as a beach bus monitor. Her job consisted of ensuring that the
children were all safely transported to and from their homes. Her mother was a daycare provider
in the military. Claffey also took care of her brother and cousins. These experiences, as well
being a mother of a five-year-old boy, made Claffey feel comfortable about starting this
business.
Claffey started her business by taking CPR classes at the Joint Council for Economic
Opportunity of of Clinton and Franklin Counties, Incorporated (JCEO). Claffey started posting
fliers in local banks and convenience stores. Within two weeks, Claffey had her first student.
Claffey believes that what makes her business distinctive from other daycares are the flexible
hours. Claffey takes care of seven full time students. The ages range from four months to four-
years-old. Her first student is dropped off at 6:35 a.m. on the weekdays. At 9 a.m. Claffey waits
for the buses to arrive and drop off the rest of the students. Breakfast is served at 9:30 a.m. After
that, Claffey lets the children play for a bit. “I usually give them Play-Doh to play with. They
love Play-Doh. If it’s a good day outside, I would take them out for about an hour and then it’s
lunch time,” Claffey said. After lunch, the children have “rest time.” Claffey said that she does
not call it “nap time” because the children do not have to fall asleep. The children just have to
quietly sit on the mats and watch a movie. In the meantime, Claffey cleans up the leftovers from
lunch and sets up for the next activity. Around 2 p.m. the children are given a snack and help
Claffey with picking up the toys. At 3 p.m. the first set of parents come into pick up their
children. The last student is picked up at 5:30 p.m.
Claffey’s daycare is inside her home. When you first walk in, there are cubbies set in the
far left side of the room. The children usually place their mats there. The living room has two
small tables with three to four chairs for the children to sit on. Each chair has a different color.
There is a huge rug with books and baby toys around for the newborns. Stacked on the kitchen
tables are a series of baby bottles, coloring books and a box filled with markers . The kitchen and
living room are divided by a baby-proof gate. Claffey also has a green bin that she uses to hold
all of the children’s toys. After they are done playing, the children have to return the toys to that
specific bin.
“She has a really good handle with the kids. She has five three-year-olds. I praise her for
being able to maintain composure. That says a lot about her character,” says Becky Barnes.
Barnes leaves her two daughters, three-year-old Zoey and seven-month-old Mia, in the care of
Courtney Claffey while she goes off to work. Initially, Barnes had her daughters enrolled in
another daycare; however, when the daycare closed down, she searched for daycare providers
online and found Claffey. Barnes went through the interview process and found that Claffey was
the right choice for her children. To Barnes, what makes Claffey’s daycare stand out from other
daycares is that Claffey’s daycare “is structured more like a classroom setting.” Barnes said that
Claffey is focused on making this daycare an educational environment while some of the other
daycares “were just a free for all.” Barnes feels that what makes this daycare special is how
Courtney Claffey thinks. Barnes considers Claffey to be on the same level as her with parenting
and felt comfortable with allowing Claffey to take care of her children. “I’ve noticed that my
daughter is a lot further with her [alphabet] and recognizing letters. She knew them before but
she recognizing them more. She can also count a little higher,” Barnes said.
In order to maintain the business, Claffey has to follow specific rules. Christina Danussi
is a daycare director at JCEO. Her job is to help individuals become registered daycare
providers. Claffey has been registered as a daycare provider since October 4, 2014. According to
Danussi, every person that is interested in becoming a daycare provider must take 30 hours of
training each year. This includes CPR training. Danussi also helps the providers with filling out
their application packet. After that, providers like Claffey, receive a 35 page plan on what they
have to do. The provider is given $400 a week in order to have essentials such as fire alarms and
fire extinguishers to ensure the safety of the child. Every house is inspected. The houses are
inspected inadvertently. “Claffey’s daycare is wonderful, inviting and educational for children!”
Danussi said.
For the daycare to run smoothly, Claffey has to comply with a set meal plan for the
children and specific hygiene and safety requirements. Jennifer Cross is a home inspector for the
54 daycares in Plattsburgh. Cross said that Claffey and other providers are given a booklet. This
booklet has a series of recipes that Claffey has to follow. “For breakfast, the children are usually
given something with grain, milk and cheese in it. We provide healthy alternatives for them to
follow. It’s okay sometimes for the children to be fed chicken nuggets and fries, but we try to
push the providers to keep healthy components,” Cross said. In order for Claffey to keep her
clean record during inspections, she has to make sure that her fridge is set a specific temperature,
there are safety locks everywhere, the house is clean, there are no bug risks and that there is no
garbage lingering around.
Courtney Claffey believes that what makes her business successful is preparation and
pride. Her flexible hours also play a role in her success. She said that there are many parents that
work overtime or have early shifts and need someone to take care of their child. Her curriculum
consists of activities that will benefit the children when they go off to elementary school such as
“circle time.” In circle time, the children gather together on their mats and read books together.
To keep the children engaged, Claffey would ask them questions about the book and have them
point out certain images. She has also taught her students how to be prepared in case of
emergencies. “I had one kid that used to cry whenever he heard the fire alarm go off, now when
he hears it, he comes over to me and knows exactly what to do,” Claffey said. During circle time,
Claffey also teaches her students about keeping their hands to themselves. She typically waits for
the children to settle in before she says “criss-cross applesauce, spoons in the bowls.” This
ensures that the students are not touching each other or getting distracted. Her CPR training has
helped her with our of her students. During a birthday celebration, one of the boys was choking
on his pizza. Claffey was able to perform the Heimlich maneuver on the boy and stop him from
choking on his food. She felt that that was one of the more rewarding moments in her career
because she knew exactly what to do at the moment.
Courtney Claffey hopes to see her students grow and be able to become independent as
they develop. One of her students was kicked out a daycare for his behavior; however, Claffey
said that she never gave up on the student and that some of his actions have stopped. Claffey felt
that she was up for the challenge and refused to quit on the child. She feels accomplished when
she sees her students learning some new each day and coming back with a new ability. “I’m
proud of this business. I had been ready for this. I was working towards it. I was proud that I
could quit my job and just do this. I’m more successful now.”
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