The Toddle Inn Child Care Center/Nursery School was founded in 1985 by Cheryl Carrier. The center originally started as a day care home for 12 children that was concerned with the developmental and educational needs of the children in the area. A nursery school for 12 children was added at the Scarborough Methodist Church site in 1990. In 1993, the day care home and nursery school combined to become Toddle Inn Child Care Center, Inc. located at 605 US Route One in Scarborough, Maine. At this time, Toddle Inn employed six people.
From 1993 to 1995 the center expanded twice to accommodate the growing need for more services for infants (from six weeks old) up to school age children. Since we were serving and teaching school age children, the need for a private elementary school arose. In the summer of 1995, we received state and local approval to open our first private elementary school. The school serves Pre-Kindergarten through first grade. After the third expansion in the fall of 1995, Toddle Inn employed 23 teachers. In January 1999, we built our own custom 7,500 sq. ft. building in Scarborough to accommodate 162 children at 9 Lincoln Avenue. In September of 1999, a 9,450 sq. ft. building for 182 children in Gorham was opened. A second location in Scarborough at 152 U.S. Route One was acquired in January of 2000, serving an additional 162 families. Our third 8,250 sq. ft. center located at 10 Thomas Drive, Cumberland Foreside, accommodating 182 children, was opened in 2001. Our South Portland center opened in 2004, located on Gary Maietta Parkway, is 10,125 sq. ft. and accommodates 182 children. Opened in 2005, the Saco center is the same size as South Portland, licensed for 200 children and is located on Willey Road in the Saco Industrial Park. As both Saco and South Portland locations opened, our second Scarborough location was dissolved, allowing teachers and families to be absorbed into surrounding locations. The Auburn Toddle Inn was opened in January 2006. A state-of -the-art Auburn center was built in 2008 on Merrow Road.
Cheryl Carrier wanted to share her child care expertise with other entrepreneurs who have a passion for early childhood education, so she explored the option of franchising. The Toddle Inn Franchise company was established in 2007 and is operational for possible future expansion.
In the winter of 2008, Cheryl acquired and renovated a previous daycare location in Westbrook, which became our seventh location. Additional locations could be possible in the future, however, the quality and consistency of our current locations are the first and foremost priority.