Business Details

Amherst Park Prep Childcare

• Amherst, NH 03031
• (603) 714-1887

Business description (provided by the business owner):

Amherst Park Prep child-care center of Amherst, New Hampshire is now offering live streaming video from the center to parents over the web through the Share In My Day service.

“We are just ecstatic,” says Amherst Park Prep Director, Amy Leonardo. Amherst Park Prep is now the latest child-care center to offer what may become a standard feature of child-care centers in the very near future: a live, high quality streaming video enabling parents to see their children without having to take time off work.

The service is made possible by a new company based in York, Maine, Share In My Day, LLC. Founded by two parents, Eric Spenlinhauer and Jason Parker, the company partners with child-care centers to offer interested parents a window into their child’s day.

“Instead of burdening increasingly cash-strapped child-care centers with the cost of installing and maintaining a technologically complex video system, we do the work free of any charge to the center," says Share In My Day co-founder, Eric Spenlinhauer. “Parents then subscribe through our secure website.”

Mr. Spenlinhauer claims the inspiration for the company sprung from his own anxiety about leaving his son at day care. “I remember being in the office thinking, ‘I just wish I could see what he was doing right now,’ ” Eric recalls, “and I knew that single parents and working couples must be feeling the same way.”

The overwhelmingly positive responses from parents and grandparents alike seem to confirm Mr. Spenlinhauer’s suspicion. “Being one of the only child care centers with online parent viewing in the area is a great marketing advantage. Once parents find out it is available they tell me they can’t imagine going somewhere without it,” says a glowing Amy Leonardo.

Amy points out that she is of course aware of the dual purpose of the cameras. “Not only are [the parents] checking in on the kids, they are also checking up on us; they want to know we are doing our job well and attending to each of the children’s needs.” Amy believes that even offering the cameras is an act of confidence on the part of the center that prospective parents recognize and appreciate.

“Our hope is to alleviate some of the pressure parents of young children already face,” Mr. Spenlinhauer continued. “Going back to work doesn’t have to mean that you miss out the most important things.”

For Share In My Day, the greatest challenge was ensuring an appropriate level of security. “Developing the software that would stream the quality of video we wanted and then securitizing that software proved to be a challenge. But it was our highest priority.” Explains Share In My Day co-founder Jason Parker. After a full year of development Mr. Parker now confidently tells wary parents and child-care administrators, “The security of our website equals that of any online bank.”

About Amherst Park Prep

Amy Leonardo has been awarded a Child Development Associate (CDA) Credential in recognition of outstanding work with young children. The credential was awarded by the Council for Professional Recognition in Washington, DC, which represents the early childhood education profession. For more information please contact Amy Leonardo @ 603.714.1887 Amherst Park Prep is located in Amherst NH.