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Koala Park Daycare Celebrates First Year In Tuckahoe

EASTCHESTER, N.Y. – Tuckahoe parents were given a rare night off over the weekend, as Koala Park Daycare celebrated its first year in the community by hosting a “date night” with free childcare for an evening.

Koala Park Daycare owner Karina Wyllie with several appreciative parents in Tuckahoe.

Koala Park Daycare owner Karina Wyllie with several appreciative parents in Tuckahoe.

Photo Credit: Contributed
Children playing in the Bouncy House at Koala Park Daycare in Tuckahoe.

Children playing in the Bouncy House at Koala Park Daycare in Tuckahoe.

Photo Credit: Contributed
The Tuckahoe daycare center enjoyed its first year in the village.

The Tuckahoe daycare center enjoyed its first year in the village.

Photo Credit: Contributed
Koala Park children enjoying locally purchased cupcakes from Eastchester.

Koala Park children enjoying locally purchased cupcakes from Eastchester.

Photo Credit: Contributed
Things were kept local in Tuckahoe.

Things were kept local in Tuckahoe.

Photo Credit: Contributed

Families that are enrolled in the daycare program were treated to a night on the town, while caretakers looked after the children at the Tuckahoe center, where they enjoyed a celebration of their own.

While parents savored dinner at Mambo 64 on Main Street, the children were treated to pizza, cupcakes, dancing, reading, a bouncy castle as well as arts and crafts.

“We wanted to acknowledge our one year anniversary in a different way, so we came up with the idea of date night,” owner Karina Wyllie said. “We offered free care to all enrolled families so that the parents and couple could enjoy a night out with each other and not have to worry about hiring babysitters or doing background searches on nannies they do not know or trust.”

Koala Park truly made the evening as a local affair, getting the anniversary cake from Martine’s bakery in Crestwood, cupcakes from Eastchester Stop and Shop and pizza from Villaggio.

“Date Night” was such a success that Wyllie said that Koala Park is planning an encore.

“The parents were truly appreciative and very thankful. They loved date night so much that they requested we do it again,” she said. “We will start providing date night as an added value to our service, on a quarterly basis for now while we pilot the program.”

Koala Park got its start after Wyllie relocated to Westchester from Long Island in 2010. After struggling to find local, affordable day care for her then infant daughter, she decided to open up a full-time center out of her home last year.

The operation has rapidly grown, and is such an overwhelming success, that the mother of two is in the process of opening a second location as early as next month, pending a handful of childcare requirements.

“We are truly proud of what we have accomplished in such little time,” Wyllie added. “The reputation we have developed for ourselves, the trust the parents have in us and the quality of service speak for itself.”

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