Nebraska City Preschools/Child Care for 3-year-old (Center: daycare, preschool)

[mama2l]

Hi there. I'm relocating to Nebraska from Austin, Texas for family-related reasons, and I'm trying to get a sense of the preschool, daycare, or in-home child care options available for my 3-year-old daughter in Nebraska city.

She attended a very small Montessori school in Austin that had a garden, chickens, and a sweet old dog to care for. Her teacher, or "guide," as they call them in Montessori, was gentle and kind but also managed to do things like teach her to sit down to eat her lunch within a day (after I'd spent months trying and failing).

It doesn't look like Montessori's an option in Neb City, but it would be great to find something in town for her that's small (or smallish), offers a lot of structure and consistency, and emphasizes positive approaches to discipline.

The only preschool I'm familiar with in town is First Step Learning Center, which is, unfortunately, not a good fit for her. She feels scared there, and I have to say I get why, given her experiences with "school" so far. It's sort of overwhelming, size-wise, there are lots of different staff members, who aren't, umm, soft-spoken, and, every time I've been there, it seems like a lot of kids are being reprimanded, referred to as "naughty," sent to time out, etc.

I've tried to look around for other options, but there is nothing online in the way of preschool/child care center reviews, or even substantive descriptions, and I don't know any local parents yet.

Would anyone be willing to make some recommendations, or does anyone have a suggestion about how I could find more info? I'd be really grateful.