The building
- Video-monitored premises. The facility is under video monitoring.
- Closed-circuit intercom between classrooms. Staff can reach any room directly, without leaving children unattended to go find someone.
- Private parking. Drop-off and pick-up happen in our own lot rather than on SW Savage Blvd.
- Purpose-designed classrooms. Rooms were built for early learning by age group, infant through VPK — not converted from another use.
Outdoors
The playground is surfaced with 100% synthetic turf and equipped for the age groups that use it. Outdoor time is part of the daily routine, not an extra.
Meals
Meals are coordinated with the Florida Department of Health as part of a dedicated food program, and new foods are introduced deliberately as part of the lesson plan rather than left to chance. Nutrition is built into the daily routine instead of being treated as an afterthought.
If your child has an allergy or a dietary restriction, raise it on your tour so we can walk you through exactly how it is recorded and who in the room sees it.
Who is actually in the building
My First Place Academy is family-operated. Owners Veronica Forero (Director) and Aracelly Forero are involved in day-to-day operations — observing classrooms, supporting teachers, and available to parents. That is the single biggest practical difference between an owner-run academy and a managed location: the person accountable for your child's day is on site.
Our open-door policy
Parents are actively involved in each child's development and in our approach to discipline. The door stays open: if you want to see a room, see it. A program that is confident about its ordinary days does not need notice before a visit.
The fastest way to judge any of this is to walk the building while children are in it.