There is a need for quality childcare in Mahomet, and Briana McDade is continuously looking for ways to fill that need.
Opening Briana’s Buddies in 2021, Briana sought to provide an in-home preschool with a focus on kindergarten preparedness for children ages 2-5. With a 4 to 1 student-to-teacher ratio and a focus on educational exploration, that model drew the attention of the Mahomet-Seymour community.
“We believe in the importance of building positive relationships with the children, having more time to work with each child one-on-one, and giving them comfort in knowing they will see the same faces every day,” Briana said.
“Furthermore, we have enrolled several children that just weren’t a right fit for the big center environments. They struggled there or had other behavioral issues and a smaller class size worked better for them.”
Another bonus, Briana’s husband, Zach, is part of the program.
“Having Zach here has provided the kids with a strong male role model,” Briana said. “It isn’t too often that you see men in a teacher role for this age group. The kids absolutely love Mr. Zach!”
Alongside additional staff members, Briana and Zach have also focused on teaching the young children proper communication techniques, manners, and other various life skills.
“Our curriculum provides daily enrichment activities such as Math, Literacy, Spanish, and Art. We love to make learning fun and explore outside the classroom whenever possible!”
“We want learning to be fun! If we make learning fun and interesting now, we hope they will carry a love of learning with them for the rest of their lives!”
Field trips and hands-on activities are part of that learning process, as is getting involved in what’s happening locally.
Community involvement is a core value at Briana’s Buddies Preschool. The preschool actively engages the children in community projects such as surprising kids with Easter eggs, making cards for the nursing home, and delivering treats to teachers, firefighters, and police officers. By participating in these activities, the children develop a sense of social responsibility and empathy.
“We love to watch the kids grow and learn,” Briana said. “For instance, seeing them go from just scribbles on a page to shapes and stick figures and eventually even more detailed art is pretty amazing! We also love to see them learn how to properly communicate with one another. From screaming and pointing to eventually explaining their feelings to their friends and communicating in positive ways.”
Now that some of the earliest students of Briana’s Buddies are entering school, the organization has expanded in order to provide those same learning opportunities after school. Briana’s Big Buddies, a non-profit organization, will be held at the Mahomet United Methodist Church beginning with the 2023-24 school year.
“Briana’s Big Buddies is unique in that its mission is small class sizes and building positive relationships,” Briana said. “We don’t just keep the children safe until they go home. We truly love them and care about them. We want to get to know them each as individuals and become like a second family for them.”
Running to separate operations will take additional staff and focus for Briana and Zach. With a degree in Elementary Education for Illinois State University, Briana will continue to run the daycare operations while Zach will lend that helping hand at Briana’s Buddies before heading off to manage programming and staff at Briana’s Big Buddies after school.
At some point, Briana hopes Briana’s Big Buddies will serve fourth and fifth-grade students, but at this time, the focus will remain on students in grades K-3. The Mahomet-Seymour School District has agreed to bus students to the Mahomet United Methodist Church from Middletown Prairie, and the non-profit organization will take care of busing third-grade students from Lincoln Trail Elementary.
Enrollment is now open for Briana’s Big Buddies at brianasbigbuddies.com. Briana and Zach will host an open house at Mahomet United Methodist Church on July 9 so parents can meet the staff and see the classrooms.
