Availability: I'm available on a part time basis, preferably 2 to 3 days per week, half-days, and / or potentially as a substitute nanny for a short period of time. For recurring jobs, my next availability could start in January 2026.

Highlights:
- My passion is working with children and families.
- Kindness is my cornerstone.
- Extensive experience with infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and elementary ages.
- Over 10 years of experience as a caregiver.
- Certified in First Aid and CPR/AED for infant, child, and adult.
- Member of the National Association for the Education of Young Children.
- Member of the Association for the Education of Young Children.
- Advocate for including, and expanding, literacy for all ages.
- I have my own reliable transportation.
- Non-smoker.
- Furry friends / pets in my family.

I am sincerely grateful to Maryellen for helping us with our 3 month old son while I started back to work. As a first time mom, the separation was really overwhelming but my son was so relaxed and comfortable with her immediately. I also had the privilege of working from home for the first few weeks after maternity leave and being able to walk downstairs and see him completely content gave me so much peace. Maryellen also gives wonderful tips for activities and ways to help with development that I found very valuable. Overall, she was reliable, trustworthy, and very professional. I would highly recommend her to anyone looking for great childcare.

Maryellen has been such a godsend to our family! In addition to all the important basics (punctual, great communicator, highly reliable, committed to good hygiene and safety), she is clearly an expert at nurturing the development of young children. She is exceptionally kind and loving with our 5-month-old son, and I love her commitment to helping young children learn about their world through intentional verbal communication and repetition (e.g., counting the stairs every time they go up and downstairs, etc.) My return-to-work process was highly emotionally, and I was relieved at how quickly I felt confident stepping away for work knowing that our son and household (including our lovable but quirky, older dog!) were in her trustworthy, capable hands. I also really appreciate her very detailed notes of each day's schedule! She has also been a gentle, yet impactful teacher for me and my husband as brand new parents and we have adopted every single one of her smart suggestions (e.g., introducing link/rings to keep baby's hands busy during diaper changes; double bagging #2 diapers; smoother burping techniques, etc.) We feel SO lucky for her service in our family - and look forward to her helping us regularly in the future!

We hired Maryellen to take care of our kids while we were in KC for a family wedding. She did a fabulous job, taking the kids to the KC public library, keeping them happy and entertained, feeding them dinner and putting them to bed. We will definitely consider hiring Maryellen again if we’re back in the KC area and would recommend her to other parents! 

It is with the utmost gratitude and admiration that I write this review for Maryellen, who has been an absolute blessing to our family during my surgery recovery. From the very first moment we met, it was clear that she was not only highly professional and dependable but also incredibly warm, kind, and loving toward our 6-month-old daughter.

Maryellen's calm and composed demeanor immediately put us at ease, knowing our little one was in such capable hands. Her organizational skills were evident from the start, and she consistently kept everything running smoothly, which made a world of difference during such a challenging time.

What truly stands out about Maryellen is her deep knowledge of childhood development. She has a strong understanding of the crucial developmental milestones, and we saw firsthand how she skillfully encouraged our daughter to reach important new skills. Maryellen was able to introduce activities that supported our daughter’s growth in ways that will benefit her for years to come. Her dedication to fostering early literacy and language development was remarkable. It was so reassuring to know that, even at such a young age, our daughter was receiving the best possible foundation for future learning.

We are incredibly grateful for Maryellen’s presence in our home during my recovery. Her genuine care for our daughter, professionalism, and nurturing approach made her a true partner in our family’s well-being. I wholeheartedly recommend Maryellen to any family looking for a loving, reliable, and knowledgeable nanny. She is an extraordinary individual who makes a lasting, positive impact on both children and parents alike. Thank you, Maryellen, for everything you did for us!

Hiring Maryellen was the best decision I could have made for my family. She brings such positivity and passion into it every day. Both of my children loved her instantly. Her expertise in childcare is apparent and I trust her fully. This is truly saying something, as I have only left my kids with family before and am so protective of my babies. She is so extremely kind, so helpful. I couldn’t do it without her, truly.  When you’re trusting the care of your children to another person, it’s important that they embody all of these qualities. I’m so lucky to have found Maryellen for our family. 

I was incredibly anxious to go back to work and have anybody else watch him. Being able to have someone in our home for his first year has been such a relief. Our son absolutely adores Maryellen and lights up any time she comes over. She has been so wonderful with him and we are so grateful she’s loved our boy and our family so much over the last 9 months.

We cannot recommend Maryellen highly enough! From our initial interview to the many times she has cared for our children, she has felt like a member of our family.  Not only is she punctual, qualified, and kind-but she is incredibly thoughtful and so playful with the kids.  From the books and games that she's brought to the house with our kids in mind, to the pictures she sends us at the end of the day of their time together, every one of us (kids included) look forward to when Maryellen comes over.  Thank you, Maryellen for being a part of our family team!

MaryEllen was with our family for just over a year, caring for our youngest daughter from when she was about 12 weeks old until she was about 14 months old. It was such a blessing to have MaryEllen with us. She is prompt, prepared, confident, and thorough. MaryEllen shared photos and videos with me while I was gone, tidied up the kitchen during nap time, and always gave a thorough report at the end of the day. I never once came home to an unhappy baby. Additionally, she helped care for my 3-year-old daughter several times throughout the year she was with us, and they always had a blast together. From the moment you meet MaryEllen, you can tell she has a deep love for children and takes pride in her work caring for them. I would recommend her to anyone looking for a skilled and caring nanny for kids of any age.

Mary Ellen provided care for my son for 8 months (4 months old to 1 year). She is extremely punctual, dependable, and caring. Our son would light up whenever he saw her and she made going back to work an easy transition for me and my entire family. Would highly recommend.

Our family had a wonderful experience with Maryellen. She has cared for our five year old and four month old several times. We were new to hiring outside caregivers, and I appreciated how thorough and detail-oriented she was regarding their schedules, emergency contacts, etc. It's very evident that she enjoys children and makes the effort to get to know them. We will definitely be hiring Maryellen again!

Maryellen is a dream! We were in need of drop-in care while our full time caregiver was unavailable due to medical issues. Maryellen was so quick to reply to my message and stepped right in to help as she was able! She was so good with our little guy and he just loved her!! She is such a blessing to us and a sweet spirited person. We look forward to having her back again and again!!

We have used MaryEllen multiple times for our son who is 13 months. She always shows up early and we can count on her. She is very sweet with our son and even brought stacking blocks for him to play with one day. She loves to read him books. We know our son is in safe hands when MaryEllen watches him

Mary Ellen has been a blessing to our family over the last year. She has cared for our one-year-old daughter since she was only a few months old. They have the sweetest relationship. Besides tending to her physical needs, Mary Ellen engages her in play, reads to her, and snuggles her when she needs comfort. I've never come home to an unhappy baby. Additionally, she helps care for our four-year-old on occasion, and she is great with her as well. She brings games and books which my daughter loves. We've been thrilled to have Mary Ellen in our life! She is thorough, professional, and very caring. I cannot say enough good things.

Maryellen has been a great babysitter/nanny for our family!  She is punctual, follows our house rules, interacts with our kids well, proactively seeks to connect with our children on their level to earn their trust, and has really connected with our children.  She respects personal space and boundaries and expects and receives respect in return.  We have some unique challenges with our kids due to trauma, adoption, learning disabilities, etc. so they are not easy to care for, yet they love her!  Our 15 yr. old says that she is the best babysitter we've ever had!  This is from a child who doesn't think he needs a babysitter!  Our autistic daughter is quirky yet Maryellen just goes with the flow with her and gently guides her back on track.  Our children are excited when she's coming and ask for her to return.  She loves children and that is very evident in how she cares for our children.   We were a little worried about finding a babysitter online but Maryellen is worth it!

I would highly recommend Mary Ellen.  She watches our two children (ages 4 and 6) three days a week and has since December of 2020.  She is very good with both of our children, and does an excellent job of keeping them engaged and caring for them.  She genuinely loves children and is very patient and kind.  She is very creative in the way she keeps them engaged, and often brings books, puzzles and other items which my children really enjoy.  I'm really glad we found MaryEllen, she is a sweet person and so helpful to our family.

We have known Maryellen for a short time and are so thankful to have her in our lives. She has watched my two young children a few times now. She has been punctual, kind, trustworthy, and fun! My children love her and so do I.

Find trusted child care in your area

Maryellen D.

Maryellen D. completed a Care.com Background Check

About Maryellen

Most recent review

Alyssa Q.

Services

Qualifications

Contact Maryellen to check their availability

mon

tue

wed

thu

Safety

Care.com Background Check

Similar caregivers nearby

Macy C.

Katie P.

Kelsey K.

Lisa G.

Jill G.