It was 10 years ago, on April 1, 2012, that Elana Ochs opened the doors to Kol Chaverim Preschool in Fair Lawn. With just 12 kids enrolled in the school, she embarked on a mission to provide Jewish and religious childcare that not only catered to working parents but focused on developmental milestones as well. Ochs created a unique model by providing care for children as young as six weeks old until Pre-K with extended hours.

Ochs began her career as a special educator through Teach for America and then pursued teaching at a new daycare center in Tenafly. She was soon promoted as the early childhood director and took the lead in building their program and curriculum while she completed her dual masters degree in early childhood and special education at Touro College.

The head supervisor for the Department of Children and Families approached Ochs to inform her about an opportunity to purchase a building in Fair Lawn that would make a perfect setting for an early childhood program of her own. Newly married, Ochs and her husband took a chance and used all their savings to purchase the building instead of the home they had been saving for.

Now, 10 years later, to celebrate this momentous occasion, she is throwing an anniversary celebration at Bais Medrash of Bergenfield on March 13 from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. in gratitude to the Kol Chaverim families.

Ochs remembers how challenging it was when she first started. “I lived and breathed the school,” she said. Putting in 14- and 16-hour work days, she did everything to make sure the place ran smoothly. “I learned as I went, and then I was just lucky that there were people who believed in me and took a chance on me.”

For the first few years, getting 30 kids in her program had seemed like an insurmountable enrollment number. “It was a running joke in my family that I could never break 30.”

But those days are far behind her. “I’m very proud to say that we have been at full capacity now for the last several years—which is 87 kids.” Not only is Kol Chaverim at full capacity, but there is a waiting list. It still humbles Ochs today that parents call to reserve spots in the infants’ classroom while they are expecting.

Ochs said it is important to remember that the preschool grew slowly and steadily. This did not happen overnight. “I worked hard for my reputation and credit all my wonderful families and Morot throughout the years for standing by me and supporting KCP.”

“It was all bashert,” she said, talking about a Jewish Link article about Kol Chaverim Preschool back in April 2012. A frum father from Teaneck came to the door one day and told Ochs how he had just seen the article. He had a 3-year-old son and wanted to know more about the program. He registered on the spot. Shortly thereafter, another family who had just moved into the nearby apartment complex came along. As first-time parents they had reservations about finding the perfect space for their newborn baby. Little did Ochs know at the time, but reassuring and accommodating first-time parents became her niche. KCP became well known for providing pediatric and developmentally recommended practices in collaboration with the parents. “It is so gratifying and rewarding to see our families grow with us,” Ochs shared.

Ochs said that she is fortunate for the support of families in Fair Lawn, as they started moving into The Fair Lawn Commons apartments at the exact same time that she founded her school. She is also grateful for those first few families who took a chance on her and then told their friends to register from the Teaneck, Bergenfield and Englewood areas as well.

Unlike her competitors who opened their doors at 7:30 a.m. and ended their day at 6 p.m., she made the strategic decision to run her day care from 7 a.m. until 6:30 p.m. for those dual-income parents who were rushing to pick up their kids each day after a long commute. Recognizing how important that extra half hour was to those families, she knew “it was well worth the convenience and help that it provided to so many parents.”

Kol Chaverim chose to focus on three key elements: safety and health; communication development. Ochs refused
to run a program that was just glorified babysitting. She is proud that in conjunction with offering a well-rounded curriculum, KCP also offers attention to speech and language, fine and gross motor skill development and social emotional growth.

Living in Bergenfield, Ochs and her husband, David, now have three children including 8-year-old Ella, 5-year-old Evan and 14 month old Emily. They also have a dog named Lola who was Kol Chaverim’s official therapy dog for seven years before retiring.

Kol Chaverim accepts infants six weeks through Pre-K. To learn more about the program visit www.kolchaverim.com or call 201-509-8433.

By Ronit Mershon