At the Caring Castle all of our staff are experienced and well-educated in the care of children. All are trained in pediatric CPR, First Aid, and Fire Safety. Above all, our teachers and caregivers are chosen for their experience, knowledge of, and desire to nurture children in a compassionate, caring way. All of this is to make sure your child is being taken care of by safe, qualified individuals.
Debbie Donaldson – Director/Owner
The beginnings of Caring Castle Childcare goes back many years and started as a dream to do something meaningful and fulfilling with my life. As a result, a lot of time and preparation has gone into creating a very dynamic childcare center in the Baldwin community of the South Hills of Pittsburgh.
As a mother of three, I have always loved children and sought opportunities to work with them. I have raised three of my own who are now grown and out in the world. I have used my personal experiences coupled with a formal education in childcare to form what I feel is one of the best childcare centers in the area.
I, as well as all of our staff, am Pediatric CPR/First Aid certified. All of this has broadened my mind immensely to the need for quality childcare for children and makes me even more excited to begin this new amazing journey in my life!
Chelsea Peterson – Assistant Director
Chelsea is a graduate of Slippery Rock University and has a Bachelor’s degree in Therapeutic Recreation. Chelsea’s background and education will encourage children to become active and engaged, with lots of outdoor play and social interaction.
Having worked with a variety of children in many diverse settings, Chelsea is prepared to handle a multitude of children’s behavior. She has worked with children at the Children’s Institute, and also as a Camp Counselor at Camp AIM. She planned weekly schedules, encouraged campers to meet goals and make friends, supervised them following safety guidelines, and contacted parents on a weekly basis about their child’s progress.
Chelsea is Pediatric CPR and First Aid certified and is also a Certified Special Olympics Coach – having been a gymnast herself for many years, she was able to coach gymnasts and assisted in the Special Olympics games.
Nicole Kinavey – Consultant/Teacher
Nicole Kinavey has been a teacher for over 10 years now and has attained double master’s degrees in education. As a consultant, Nicole will ensure our preschool program is in-line with the core standard requirements for children entering kindergarten.
Nicole will be involved in helping to evaluate our children to identify any specific educational needs they may have in order to be successful in our program. She will also advise our staff if a particular child may need the curriculum tailored toward their learning style. We know Nicole will be quite an asset to Caring Castle Childcare!
Denise – Infant Room Teacher
Denise is our infant room teacher. She comes to us with 8+ years of experience with children, ages infant on up. Denise is a mother of 5 lovely daughters. She has the Mom experience and nurturing qualities we need in our infant room. We welcome Denise’s calm and caring demeanor working with infants and their families. Her experience and truly positive attitude make Denise a great addition to our team!
Louise – Infant Room Teacher
Louise is also an infant room teacher. She is well qualified especially in multi-tasking care in the baby room. Louise also has raised many children of her own. She is very experienced in the care of infants, as well as older children. Louise works well with our parents and works to share her valuable experience in the care of the very young children. Louise and Denise together make a great team in our infant room.
Kayla – Young Toddler Teacher
Kayla has been working primarily in our young toddler room. Kayla is also a mom of two young girls. Kayla is also quite the experienced Mom and uses her experience to create a fun, safe environment for our young toddlers – those that are really getting up and about to explore their surroundings. We are so happy to have Kayla be a major part of our team!
Our staff also include: Damira, Marissa, Katie, Alexa, Megan, Bri, Maddie and Ashley.
All of our staff have come together to give our center a very well rounded quality. Children all have a need to be nurtured and understood. They need interaction and physical activity, as well as education to stay engaged, and that is what these team members bring to our program!
We hope you will give us an opportunity to meet you and talk about how we may be able to fulfill your childcare needs.
Thank you!