Today’s Business Highlight: Play & Learn Paradise Daycare Center

rosajaviersales
Dec 13, 2025
10 min read

Updated: Dec 14, 2025

**The owners of Play & Learn Paradise Daycare Center: Jezayda Mateo and Francisco Santiago**

Recently, I had the opportunity to conduct my first interview highlighting a local business. This business is called “Play & Learn Paradise Daycare Center,” where I had the pleasure of meeting its owners, Jezayda Mateo and Francisco Santiago. They are a married Hispanic couple who run a 24-hour bilingual daycare here in Easton.

A First Encounter Full of Life

From the moment I stepped into the building, I could hear children playing and babies babbling. When I went to take photos, there were two babies doing tummy time and other teachers caring for young toddlers. I was welcomed with smiles and excitement. After finishing the photos, we went upstairs to the preschool room, where children come after school or during the summer for care, and that’s where we conducted the interview.

Connecting with the Businesses Around Us

I sincerely hope you’re able to read about this local business and learn about the services available around you. See if it’s a good fit for you, and if it is, show your support. In a way, I’m creating a “dating” project—let’s fall in love with the service and our community.

I’ve transcribed our full conversation. The entire interview was conducted in Spanish. I have translated the conversation into this blog.

Business Information:

Name: Play & Learn Paradise Daycare Center

Address: 190 S Greenwood Ave, Easton, PA 18045

Email: Palpdc1@gmail.com

Phone: (484) 275-0370

Website: https://www.facebook.com/p/PlayLearn-Paradise-Daycare-61563363640446/

Translated Audio Transcription

The Origin of the Daycare and Easton's Need

Rosa: Ok, so I'd like to know what inspired you to start a daycare.

Francisco: Um, basically I've always seen that there's a need for daycares everywhere, right? And she had already worked at a daycare before, so we had the opportunity to open one - to help, you know, the community, people - and to have a space for children.

Rosa: So what need did you see specifically in Easton that made you feel a daycare was needed?

Francisco: First, I checked and there were not many, and even fewer Hispanic ones.

Rosa: Okay. So do you - like - speak to the children in Spanish? How do you do it?

Jezayda: It's bilingual - bilingual. We speak to the children in Spanish, but the curriculum is in English.

Rosa: Okay

A Truly Bilingual Approach

Jezayda: So, the activities are done in both languages: Spanish and English. Because we have many children who only speak Spanish at home.

Rosa: Ah, that's great!

Jezayda: So they learn English outside the home, and they end up learning both languages. At the same time, we also have many children who don't speak Spanish - everything at home is in English - and they have learned to speak Spanish here.

Rosa: Here?

Jezayda: Exactly. So we think it helps both sides - those who don't know English and those who don't know Spanish.

Rosa: Okay, so this is something - This type of daycare that doesn't really exist much around here. So you offer the curriculum in English, but you teach in both languages.

Jezayda: Exactly. The curriculum we provide is in English, but when I give the activities, the instructions are given in both Spanish and English.

Rosa: Can you give me an example - like colors or something like that?

Francisco: Exactly-- colors, the alphabet, songs…

Jezayda: The days of the week...

Francisco: They learn them in Spanish.

Jezayda: The days of the week, the alphabet, colors, geometric shapes..

Rosa: Okay, perfect! So personally, what does caring for children mean to you?

Jezayda: A very, very, very big responsibility.

Rosa: Yes!

Caring for Children: Responsibility, Love, and a Calling

Jezayda: But it becomes part of you. Because, like I tell the parents, the moment those children walk through that door, they’re mine. They’re mine, and here they’re cared for and protected as if they were my own. Yes, imagine that.

Rosa: And, um, what is each of your roles?

Francisco: Well, I’m more on the financial and administrative side. She’s here day to day, right? Being here every day. Working with the teachers… a little bit of everything. She does a bit of everything.

Rosa: Sorry, I forgot to ask your names. You are Sant...

Francisco: Francisco Santiago, yes.

Rosa: Francisco Santiago, and you?

Jezayda: Jezayda Mateo

Roles, Journeys, and Personal Growth

Rosa: Jezayda Mateo, okay! And—what is your personal story behind why you wanted to open the daycare? Beyond what the city needed, what personally led you to open it?

Francisco: I’d say in my case it was more because she already worked at one, so we started seeing how it was managed.

Rosa: Okay!

Francisco: And then, financially, businesswise, it caught my attention. I saw it was something that was needed, right? There’s always a need for a daycare everywhere. I mean, no matter if they open one right next door, if it’s managed well, it’s always a good financial decision.

Rosa: And for you, having worked in a daycare before?

Jezayda: I worked - I like children. In Puerto Rico I was an occupational therapist, so I worked with kids. Then coming to this new country, I thought, what am I going to do? Because the language was difficult for me. I worked at a daycare in Allentown, and when he said to me, “What do you think if we open a daycare?” I felt comfortable, because it was a business I already knew how to manage. I spent five years at the other daycare. It’s a business I already knew—a business where I grew. I started as the assistant to the assistant teacher, and over those five years I grew to the point where I was practically a supervisor at that daycare. But it was, you know, step by step. I earned my stripes—and I earned them on my own.

Rosa: Wow!

Jezayda: We earned our stripes together, the two of us.

Rosa: How long have you been in the United States? Well, on the mainland?

Francisco: Here?

Jezayda: Since María!

Francisco: Nine years.

Rosa: Nine years? Ok. Both of you?

Francisco: Yes

Rosa: Okay, so you already knew English from before?

Francisco: The thing is, I lived here when I was a child.

Rosa: Okay, perfect. Um…in what ways does the daycare reflect your personality, your childhood story, your dreams, your culture?

Culture That's Lived...and Eaten

Jezayda: The culture? The food—through the food! [laughs]

Rosa: [laughs] Through the food?

Francisco: Yes, American kids eat rice and beans

Rosa: [laughs]

Francisco: Here, we eat very Puerto Rican!

Jezayda: Very Latino- very Latino! Chicken soup, pasta with ground meat. It’s very rare for us to serve nuggets and fries here.

Francisco: Which is what most other daycares usually serve..

Jezayda: Here, I can tell you that ordering pizza like other daycares—like pizza every Friday....

Francisco: No, here we do it, at most, once a month.

Jezayda: And even that is a lot. They don’t even like pizza.

Rosa: So the food is one hundred percent Puerto Rican?

Jezayda: Puerto Rican, yes! One hundred percent Latino. You see, today’s Friday menu, and today it’s rice and beans.

Rosa: Rice and beans [laughs]

Francisco: Yes! With some chicken on the side!

Daily Routine and Structure of the Day

Rosa: So when the children arrive in the morning, what does the daily rhythm look like?

Jezayda: They come in—we open at 6:30. I already have a child arriving at 6:30. Breakfast is served from 7:30 to 8:30. So those who arrive during that time come in, eat breakfast, and by 9:00 the day officially begins. I don’t accept children after 9:00 for that reason—because I would have to stop the routine to open the door and bring the child in. The others have already disconnected, and I’ve lost the morning. All the academic work happens in the morning.

Rosa: And what kind of breakfast do you serve?

Jezayda: Latino as well! [laughs] Eggs, cereal, cream of wheat…

Francisco: Sometimes we make French toast…

Jezayda: That’s why I tell you—the culture? The food.

A Space of Trust for Families

Rosa: Okay. Perfect! Um…what do you want people to feel when they walk through the doors?

Francisco: Basically, that they feel like they’re at home. A family-oriented place…

Jezayda: Trust.

Francisco: We try—although it’s a business, right?—to make it feel…

Jezayda: Like Family!

Francisco: Family! Everyone goes through problems, and whenever we can help, we do. It’s more than just a business, you know? It’s a little more close.

Jezayda: That’s it—trust and peace of mind! We have a baby who came here at two months old…and now she’s almost two years old.

Rosa: Oh, wow! How do you want families to feel—like, in the sense of feeling safe—here in the Lehigh Valley? When they come in, what do you offer so they feel that way?

Francisco: Basically what we already mentioned—you know, trust…

Jezayda: Through the app, we send videos and photos of the kids…

Francisco: Videos, photos, messages…

Jezayda: They see them—maybe in the middle of a busy workday they see the photo and say, “Oh, look! I got a message! It’s my child—he’s calm.” Or a mom leaves her baby crying, and I send her a photo and she says, “I left him crying, but now he’s calm.” And that brings relief!

Rosa: Of course!

Jezayda: You know what I mean? So right now, for example, the kids are doing activities—we take a video, snap a photo, and I upload it.

Communication with Families

Rosa: And what kind of app do you use?

Jezayda: Procare

Rosa: Well, we're already talked about what makes you different, but would you like to add anything else - compared to other daycares in Easton or the Lehigh Valley?

What Sets Them Apart from Other Daycares?

Jezayda: We offer 24-hour care.

Rosa: Ok, wow!

Jezayda: And that’s something you don’t really find around here.

Rosa: You really don’t!

Francisco: We also provide meals. You know, we basically don’t charge for food. Most daycares either charge for meals or require parents to bring their own.

Jezayda: Unless it’s a baby who needs…

Francisco: Specific milk.

Jezayda: Exactly. In that case, yes. But all other meals we provide are included. This also applies to children who are subsidized through Title 20.

Rosa: Oh, so you accept Title 20?

Francisco: Yes, of course!

Jezayda: There are many daycares out there where the child pays a co-pay—fifty dollars a week—and they still charge extra because the daily cost is higher than what Title 20 covers.

Francisco: We try to stay under the budget compared to what other daycares charge—not just to stay in business, but also to help, because daycares are expensive, right?

Rosa: Absolutely.

Francisco: And as she knows, part of who I am—I like being able to help. I like that we can help, so we keep our pricing fairly reasonable.

Rosa: Okay, um…when a new family comes in, what do you want them to keep in mind? What do you want them to feel right away?

Jezayda: Trust. That they see the children are happy. That they’re leaving their kids in a place where they’ll be okay—where they’ll be well cared for. That they can go to work or study with peace of mind, knowing their children aren’t in a dangerous place with too many kids and not enough staff. No—here we have the right amount of staff.

Rosa: And what is the mission you have for the children who come here?

Francisco: That they can develop, grow in a healthy environment, learn, and at the same time have fun. Basically, that’s the meaning behind the name “Play and Learn”—because that’s what we wanted…

Jezayda: That they learn while they play. Because obviously, they’re children! School is over there. I do teach them little things, yes—but school is over there. They are children, and I need them to be children. I like for them to be children.

Francisco: To have the freedom to be just that.

Real Moments That Make a Difference

Rosa: What is your favorite part about caring for children?

Jezayda: The mornings are… the mornings are epic! I mean, every single morning is epic. Because one day a child shows up wearing an Easter hat in the middle of Christmas.

Rosa: [laughs] Really?

Jezayda: And then you’re like, “Easter?” I mean, they’re learning new words. Sometimes a bad word slips out—something they heard their mom or dad say at home…

Rosa: [laughs]

Jezayda: And you’re just standing there like, “What?”—not knowing whether to correct them or laugh! What do you do? It catches you completely off guard—“Okay, did you hear that too?” And then that’s when we say, “We don’t say that.” But yes—the mornings are epic! Every morning is different. Every single one!

Mission, Impact, and Values

Rosa: What kind of impact do you want your business to have on the community?

Francisco: Basically, that. You know—this is a place where people can come and leave their children with peace of mind. We offer 24-hour service because many people work different shifts and don’t have access to childcare. They can’t work because they don’t have care during those hours.

Jezayda: That language is not a barrier.

Francisco: No—we’ve had children from all different ethnicities here, you know…

Jezayda: Korean...

Francisco: Asians.…

Rosa: So if you wanted someone to know just one thing about Play & Learn—one thing you’d want them to know when they read about it, hear about it, or see your business—what would be the most important thing?

Jezayda: That the children are happy. That there is trust—and peace of mind.

Handling the Unexpected When it Happens

Rosa: So one last question that always interests me—do you have a really crazy story and how you handled it? Because when parents leave their children, something always happens… in any type of business, something always comes up. A really wild story about something that happened with a child or something that left an impression on you—and that you handled well.

Jezayda: Thank God, nothing serious has happened with the children. Thank God. Because I’m very careful—I honestly don’t even know how I would tell a parent, “A child fell.” You understand what I mean?

Rosa: Of course!

Jezayda: We have cameras that obviously back everything up. What did happen was a gas leak from the restaurant's kitchen, and we were told to evacuate. I had a baby in a car seat, and we were outside—it was raining. The guy next door lent us his car, but it was a small Tesla. And the baby ended up in the trunk of the Tesla. [laughs]

Rosa: (laughs) You gotta do what you gotta do!

Jezayda: Because we had to leave, it was raining, and the kids couldn’t get wet. We all got into the car, put on Netflix, and the baby stayed in the car seat—but in the trunk of the Tesla. When the dad arrived, we opened the trunk and handed him the baby. But—we handled it!

Rosa: Of course! So I imagine the building owner took care of everything after that.

Francisco: Basically, they called UGI, and they came and checked everything, then—

Rosa: And they fixed it?

Jezayda: Yes—everything’s fixed now! Thank God!

Rosa: Okay! We’ve reached fifteen minutes. I’ll pause it here.

Supporting Local Means Supporting the Community

Supporting local businesses like Play & Learn Paradise Daycare Center means supporting families, culture, and community. If you’re looking for a safe, family-oriented, and bilingual space for your children, this could be the ideal place for you.