Yusra Mohamud
Director
Yusra opened Nugget for the families on her own street. She speaks Somali and English at the front door and is the first person you meet at a tour.
Somali American-owned child care
Peekaboo on the mat, in Somali and English
Nugget is a child care center in Columbia Heights for children from six weeks to five years. Our teachers speak Somali and English, serve halal meals and show you our license at the tour.
- Ages 6 weeks to 5 years
- Halal meals
- Somali and English spoken
What you can check
Our license, our ratios and how we keep each day steady
License
Licensed by DCYF
Child care center license · MN Lic. 000000Verify
Adults to children
1 adult to 4 children
Infants, 6 weeks to 12 months
1 adult to 4 children
Toddlers, 12 to 24 months
1 adult to 7 children
Twos, 2 to 3 years
1 adult to 10 children
Threes, 3 to 4 years
1 adult to 10 children
Fours, 4 to 5 years
Capacity
70
Ages 6 weeks to 5 years
Staff checks and training
- Background checks
- CPR and first aid
- Safe sleep training
- Mandated reporter training
- Food handler training
Safety routines
Drop-off and pickup
A teacher meets each child at the room door. We release a child only to the people you list in writing, and we ask for photo ID the first few times.
Allergies
Tell us about any allergy at the tour. Once you enroll, we ask again in private.
Safe sleep
Infants sleep on their backs, in their own cots, with nothing else in the cot.
Clean hands
Every room washes hands on arrival, before meals and after outdoor play.
Drills
Each room practices fire and weather drills with the teacher who leads it.
Ask us about child care assistance
Sample details.
The five rooms
Each room, and the schedules it offers
Choose a schedule for your child's room.
| Ages | Adults to children | Full day6:00 am–6:00 pm5 days a week | Part week6:00 am–6:00 pmMonday, Wednesday, Friday | Mornings6:00 am–12:30 pm5 days a week |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Infants6 weeks to 12 monthsTheir own cot, a mat on the floor and a rocking chair. | 1 adult to 4 children | Offered | Waitlist | Not offered |
| Toddlers12 to 24 monthsLow shelves, floor play and songs. | 1 adult to 4 children | Offered | Offered | Not offered |
| Twos2 to 3 yearsA play kitchen, blocks and the first art table. | 1 adult to 7 children | Offered | Offered | Offered |
| Threes3 to 4 yearsCircle time, paint and a reading corner. | 1 adult to 10 children | Offered | Full | Offered |
| Fours4 to 5 yearsStories, songs and walks around the neighborhood. | 1 adult to 10 children | Offered | Offered | Waitlist |
Fees and what each is for
- Registration
- Opens your child's enrollment file and puts your family on our roll.
- Holding a place
- Keeps your child's place until the first day; it goes toward the first month's tuition.
- Outings
- A walk to the library or a trip with the Fours; we tell families ahead.
Places by room change through the year; ask at the tour.
Sample programs.
Five rooms, one path
From the Infant room to the Fours
A child moves up when they are ready, and you hear about it before the move.
- 01
Infants
6 weeks to 12 monthsSkillsTummy time and floor play
Feeding and naps on your baby's own rhythm
Songs in Somali and English, board books
Moving upWhen your baby is walking and ready, Nasra talks with you first, and your child visits the Toddler room with her before the move.
- 02
Toddlers
12 to 24 monthsSkillsWalking, climbing and pushing a toy
Naming things in picture books
Stacking, nesting and the first art table
Moving upA visit to the Twos room comes first, with a teacher your child already knows.
- 03
Twos
2 to 3 yearsSkillsPlaying beside friends and starting to share
Songs, shakers and drums
The play kitchen and dress-up
Moving upThe Twos visit the Threes room for a morning near their birthday month.
- 04
Threes
3 to 4 yearsSkillsCircle time, helping jobs and stories
Painting, cutting and gluing
Counting games with blocks and beads
Moving upAbdullahi teaches both the Threes and the Fours, so the next room has a familiar face in it.
- 05
Fours
4 to 5 yearsSkillsLonger stories and pretend play
Drawing and writing a first name
Walks around the neighborhood with a teacher
Moving upIn spring, Yusra and the parents plan the move to kindergarten together.
Where to startBook a tour
Sample levels.
Our team
The people in your child's room
Every room has a lead teacher you will meet at the tour.
Nasra Isse
Infant and Toddler lead
Nasra leads the Infant and Toddler rooms. She speaks Somali and English with your baby and keeps a short note for you at every pickup: feedings, naps and what your baby tried today.
Abdullahi Nur
Threes and Fours teacher
Abdullahi teaches the Threes and Fours. He reads stories in English, sings in Somali and takes the Fours on walks around the neighborhood.
Through the year
Open houses, first days and closures
Come to an open house to see every room, or book a tour any weekday.
Fall through summer
Late August
Open houseFall open house
Walk through every room, meet each teacher and taste what is on the menu.
Early September
First dayFall classes begin
Children visit their new room with a parent the week before.
Late November
ClosedThanksgiving closure
Closed Thursday and Friday.
Late December
ClosedWinter break
Closed the week between the holidays.
Posted a month ahead
ClosedEid closures
We close for two days, one for each Eid. The days follow the moon, so we tell families a month before.
Early March
Applications openFall places open
Families on the waitlist hear first, then we open applications to new families.
Book a tour
Sample dates.
On the table
What we serve, and what we don't
Our kitchen follows the food practices of the families we care for.
Halal meat
The chicken, beef and lamb on our menu are halal. Ask at the tour who supplies it.
No pork, lard or alcohol
Nothing we cook has pork, lard or alcohol in it, and we read the label on everything we buy.
Dishes from home
Canjeero with honey at breakfast, bariis and chicken at lunch, and oatmeal, yogurt, fruit and vegetables beside them.
Your family's practices
If your family follows other food practices, such as vegetarian, tell Yusra at the tour and she will say what we can do. Tell us about allergies at the tour too; we ask privately once you enroll.
How to enroll
- 01
Step 1: Get in touch
Call the front desk, text us or use the form. Yusra or the front desk answers within a day, in Somali or English.
- 02
Step 2: Book a tour
Come see the rooms with your child. It takes about half an hour, and you can ask anything, including about tuition and what is on the menu.
- 03
Step 3: Apply
Fill in the application and tell us which room and schedule you are hoping for. If the room is full, we put your family on the waitlist.
- 04
Step 4: Register
Once there is a place, you complete the enrollment forms in private: your child's details, health and the people allowed to pick up.
- 05
Step 5: The first day
Bring a change of clothes and what your child sleeps with. A teacher meets you at the room door, and you are welcome to stay a while.
Questions we hear most
Is Nugget licensed?
Yes. Nugget is licensed by DCYF as a child care center. The license hangs by the front desk, and we will show it to you at the tour.
Which ages do you take?
From six weeks to five years, in five rooms: Infants, Toddlers, Twos, Threes and Fours.
Is the food halal?
The chicken, beef and lamb we serve are halal, and we do not cook with pork, lard or alcohol. Tell us about allergies at the tour; we ask privately once you enroll.
Who speaks Somali?
Yusra, Nasra and Abdullahi speak Somali and English. Ask at the tour which teacher your child's room will have.
How do I find out if there is a place?
Write or call, and we will tell you whether your child's room has a place. If it is full, we put your family on the waitlist and call when one opens.
What if my baby has a feeding routine?
Tell us at the tour. We follow your routine and write down feedings and naps for you at every pickup.
How does tuition work?
It depends on your child's room, the schedule and the days a week. Yusra gives you the figures in writing at the tour.
Come see the rooms
A tour takes about half an hour, and your child is welcome to come along.