Claudia Stedge has both the educational background and relevant work experience necessary to effectively perform the duties required of an administrator of a child care center. She has two master’s degrees, one from Bank Street College of Education in Early Childhood with an emphasis on Special Education, and the other from Columbia University School of Social Work. She has received her certification from New York State Education Department for Supervision and Administration. Prior to beginning Family and Educational Consultants with Diana and Stephanie, Ms. Stedge was an administrator, initially as a head teacher then director of a large preschool special education program with a day care component. The special education program had over 100 children served on site or at their homes. The day care had over 40 children. She has since worked as the administrator of Partnership for Education providing oversight to the program along with providing services to children and their families in the community. She has been to several conferences on children’s development and children with special needs.

Additionally, Diana Brooks brings pertinent work experience and educational background to add to the operation of a successful child care setting. Diana earned her bachelors degree in Physical Therapy from Northeastern University in Boston, MA in June of 1990. Diana has furthered her education by attending courses, training and conferences that are relevant to early childhood development as well as developmental disabilities in infants, toddlers and preschoolers Upon graduation she worked at a pediatric head injury center. After moving to the Hudson Valley in 1992, she worked at a preschool for children with special needs, working with children both in the classroom and in their homes while managing her own independent consulting practice. She has also worked as a physical therapist in a public school setting, before starting Family and Educational Consultants, LLC with Claudia and Stephanie in 1997. Diana greatly enjoys working with children and their families not only in their homes but also in their natural environments: at the park, in their daycare setting and at their preschools. As a parent and an Early Intervention and Preschool therapist, Diana understands the need for high quality daycares and preschools that strive to include children of all abilities. Diana has gained management experience through the operations of their successful business, Family and Educational Consultants, LLC.

Diana Brooks

Stephanie Schleif-Jordan has the educational background and relevant business experience to add to the operation of a successful child care center. Stephanie earned a Masters in Special Education from the State University of New York at Albany in June of 1990. Upon graduation she worked as a teacher in a private school for children diagnosed on the Autism Spectrum. There she not only honed her skills as a teacher, but learned house to manage a classroom of special needs children with a variety of teaching assistants and therapists. Prior to starting Family and Educational Services, LLC with Claudia and Diana she worked at a center based placement for preschool children. She taught a classroom of preschool children with a disability with three assistants. She moved into an evaluation role. Her responsibilities included setting up evaluations for children birth through preschool. This included coordinating the therapists required for the evaluation, contact with family, evaluation of the child, contact with family and coordination of the write up and distribution of the evaluation to the appropriate entities. Since starting Family and Educational Services, LLC in 1997 she has worked as a therapist for children and their families through the Early Intervention and Preschool Programs. She has not only seen the need for quality daycare from viewing daycares in her capacity as a therapist, but as a parent also. Stephanie has obtained business management experience through the operation of a successful business, but continues to further her education by attending many workshops, conferences and courses relevant to early child development.