{"id":16666,"date":"2022-07-13T18:13:52","date_gmt":"2022-07-13T23:13:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.acqualinaresort.com\/blog\/?p=16666"},"modified":"2022-08-02T15:27:25","modified_gmt":"2022-08-02T20:27:25","slug":"qa-with-ayana-rodriguez-founder-of-itavi-acqualinas-newest-curated-childcare-experience","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.acqualinaresort.com\/blog\/family\/qa-with-ayana-rodriguez-founder-of-itavi-acqualinas-newest-curated-childcare-experience\/","title":{"rendered":"Q&A with Ayana Rodriguez, Founder of itavi: Acqualina\u2019s Newest Curated Childcare Experience"},"content":{"rendered":"

We sat down with the Miami-based creator of itavi to understand what makes this childcare service so different and what parents can expect:
\n<\/em>By Michelle Payer<\/p>\n

WHAT IS itavi?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Itavi<\/a> is an acronym for \u201cit takes a village,\u201d because there was a point in time where families lived close together and watched children, but as dynamics started to shift they needed childcare. We are setting a different tone in what childcare expectations and standards look like and what they should be and providing a service that differentiates what is on the market. Our goal is to ensure our child is always better than when we entered their space; if the child is better, the parents are better, the hotel is better and we\u2019re better \u2013 it\u2019s a circle. We have five pillars that incorporate arts & crafts, reading, movement, physical and cultural; we do yoga; there\u2019s a wellness aspect. In this programming we stay away from Legos and Slime; we feel children have seen this all the time. We stay away from electronics and we encourage children to stay away from iPhones and movies; we know they get a lot of that already. These children have tremendous life experiences; we meet them at their level and inspire them based on what they already know. Then we change the program quarterly to keep it fresh and keep our team engaged.<\/p>\n

WHAT DOES AN itavi SESSION AT ACQUALINA LOOK LIKE?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Part of the programming is a sustainability aspect \u2013 we might read a book about Miami\u2019s marine life, we might incorporate an arts and crafts cutting and gluing activity (motor skills) to go back to the theme of the book. Some children may never have experienced Miami before, so we might incorporate salsa dancing as part of the exercise pillar. With parents\u2019 permission, we might do outdoor activities with curated programming in designated safe spaces, which never includes the pool, as our goal is that everyone stays safe, take them to the on-property restaurant and then back to the room where they\u2019re engaged in an activity. Children might create a passport and learn about different countries\u2019 animals, foods, sayings: more than just what\u2019s in our backyard. \u00a0It\u2019s important to know we created the itavi program<\/a> to touch base on all the different \u201cbeings\u201d of a child and curate this. If a child has been traveling and there\u2019s a time difference, it\u2019s important to help the child become centered again.<\/p>\n

WHY DID YOU CREATE itavi?<\/strong><\/p>\n

With independent services in different cities, you would still have to navigate through 100 different applicants to find someone to care for your child. It\u2019s rolling the dice and there\u2019s no accountability. I always thought, \u201cIf I do this, I need to be accountable for who I\u2019m connecting to your child\u201d so I took an entire year to strategize and build itavi. I\u2019ve worked with leading industry childcare educators, pediatricians to understand motor skills and incorporated my own experience of traveling with children and navigating childcare as a whole. The intention is to offer a better service where accountability, resolve and experience-building leads to trust and sets a standard. Wherever itavi is, you know what the foundation and expectation look like. At the core it\u2019s the intentions and accountability. If I can walk away and the child says, \u201cthat was so much fun, I want Susan to come back,\u201d the parent will benefit and won\u2019t feel guilty for leaving, the child will have a great experience and the hotel will have trusted childcare.<\/p>\n

HOW DOES IT WORK?<\/strong><\/p>\n

The service can be booked anytime day or night for up to three children with a four-hour minimum at $260, and <\/em>we can coordinate sessions for children from multiple families who are traveling together. We know all about the children from the online intake form the parents have filled out; it tells us the childrens\u2019 allergies, schedules, birthdays, emergency contact, feeding times and more, then we verify all that information by phone. Our childcare professionals meet the parents in the lobby 15-minutes before a session starts and parents know exactly who they\u2019re meeting from the digital ID badge we\u2019ve sent. We want the families to know who is coming and a little background about that childcare professional. We offer white glove service and provide parents with a direct contact so they\u2019re not in a queue.<\/p>\n

WHO ARE YOUR itavi CHILDCARE PROFESSIONALS?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Each itavi childcare professional has undergone extensive background checks, has two-plus years of childcare experience, first aid and CPR certification, and much more. Our multi-lingual professionals speak English, Spanish, Portuguese and French. Each is trained in the itavi method, then has monthly training with a childcare professional training educator and is offered classes, including positive behavioral outcomes in challenging situations \u2013 for example if a child jetlagged or travel-weary. We have Montessori teachers with us at nights and on weekends. We have pediatric registered nurses who have experience with babies, as we care for children as young as three months. \u00a0We work with children with different needs; we might have children on the spectrum and have childcare professionals with that background and understanding. We\u2019re here to set the standard for childcare professionals. If the person watching your most prized possession is growing, developing and flourishing, that\u2019s what is going to happen with your child: someone who is at their best is bringing their best to your child.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We sat down with the Miami-based creator of itavi to understand what makes this childcare service so different and what parents can expect: By Michelle Payer WHAT IS itavi? Itavi […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":16669,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[101],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-16666","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-family"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nQ&A with itavi Founder Ayana Rodriguez | Acqualina Lifestyle Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"We sat down with Ayana Rodriguez, the creator of new Acqua Experience itavi to understand what makes this childcare service so different.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Jessica Roldan\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" 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