Behind the Biz: Mariposa Child-Care Center

When Mariposa Child-Care Center first opened it's doors last year, Jose Paulino and his wife Cenia had no idea what to expect.

In just one year the child care center has been able to enroll over twenty students.  And the owners are already making plans to create more classrooms and hire more teachers.

Patch caught up with Jose Paulino to see how business was going at Mariposa and ask why Dedham was their top pick for business.

Patch: Why did you choose to start this business in Dedham?  

Jose: Dedham is such a great community that is not far from home. We also were very blessed to find a unique building that offered us everything we were looking for at the time.

Patch: What distinguishes your business from others in the same industry? 

Jose: We offer a schedule for working families. We are open from 7 a.m. until 6 p.m. on weekdays. We also offer different activities such as field trips, music classes, dancing classes, etc. at no extra cost to the family. We serve all ages from infant, toddler and preschool children. Lastly, we are the only bilingual center in Dedham in which children learn two languages at the same time. This offers a great opportunity to the Dedham families when their children need to take Spanish at schools.

Patch: Any current challenges you face as a business owner? 

Jose: Public Transportation is a challenge for parents and for staff who want to get to our program. The lack of PT prevents us from having more families and more staff in our program.

Patch: What's the best business advice you've ever been given? 

Jose: I was once told “You need to trust in the Lord, trust in yourself, and use all the skills you have to make any business work in your advantage and for the community.

Patch: What's the best child care advice you'd give your clients? 

Jose: Many times parents are concerned about their children behavior. While it is important to educate our children, as parents I think that we need to enjoy them because time passes by, children grow and you never play with them. We should be able to educate our children while playing and enjoying them as they grow.