Lavina Marlow
Owner and director
Lavina opened Biscuit with one room and a porch, and she still opens the front door most mornings. She walks every family through the license, the board and the tuition at the tour.
Family-owned, Smyrna, Tennessee
Over thirty years on one street in Smyrna
Biscuit is a family-owned child care center on Lowry Street. Five rooms from six weeks to pre-K, teachers who know your child by name, and some parents who started here themselves.
- Six weeks to five years
- Open Monday to Friday
What you can check
Our license, and the routines behind it
Biscuit is licensed by the state of Tennessee. Here is the license, how many children each teacher cares for in each room, and what we do every day.
License
Licensed by Tennessee DHS
Child care center license · TN Lic. 000000Verify
Adults to children
- 1 adult to 4 childrenInfants, 6 weeks to 12 months
- 1 adult to 4 childrenToddlers, 12 to 24 months
- 1 adult to 7 childrenTwos, 2 to 3 years
- 1 adult to 9 childrenThrees, 3 to 4 years
- 1 adult to 13 childrenFours, 4 to 5 years
Capacity
75
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 hands each child to you at the room door. We release a child only to the people on your pickup list, and we ask for photo ID from anyone we don't know.
Allergies
Tell us about any allergy at the tour. Once you enroll, we ask again in private, and the room's teachers see the list.
Cribs and sleep
Infants sleep on their backs, in their own cribs, with nothing else in the crib.
Clean hands
Every room washes hands on arrival, before meals and after the yard.
Drills
Each room practices fire and storm 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. The board says how many children each teacher cares for.
| Ages | Adults to children | Full day6:30 am–5:30 pm5 days a week | Part day6:30 am–12:30 pm5 days a week | Three days6:30 am–5:30 pmMon, Wed, Fri |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Infants6 weeks to 12 monthsTheir own crib, a mat on the floor and a rocking chair. | 1 adult to 4 children | Offered | Not offered | Waitlist |
| Toddlers12 to 24 monthsLow shelves, floor play and songs. | 1 adult to 4 children | Offered | Not offered | 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 9 children | Offered | Offered | Full |
| Fours4 to 5 yearsThe pre-K room: stories, projects and walking trips. | 1 adult to 13 children | Offered | Offered | Offered |
Fees and what each is for
- Registration
- Opens your child's enrollment file and goes in with the application.
- Holding a place
- Keeps your child's place until the first day.
- Supplies
- Art and play materials that wear out with use.
- Walking trips
- The Fours' yearly outings around the neighborhood.
Brothers and sisters of enrolled children can join us before and after the school day when there is room. Ask at the tour.
Sample programs.
Who you'll meet
The people at the front door
Lavina, Grayce and Ollie are here most mornings. Each room's teachers meet you on the day of your tour.
Grayce Marlow
Assistant director
Grayce is Lavina's daughter and grew up in these rooms. She runs the front desk, the waitlist and billing, and she's who you call about a schedule.
Ollie Cheatham
Fours teacher
Ollie has led the Fours room for many years. She plans the walking trips around the neighborhood and reads with each child at the end of the day.
From families
What parents tell us
“I was in the Fours room here myself. Walking in feels like coming home, and the teachers know my daughter by name.”
Mckinley H.Parent of a two-year-old
“One of ours comes before and after school when there's room, and the other is in Toddlers. One pickup, one hello, and Grayce always has the schedule straight.”
Parker B.Parent of a toddler and a first grader
“Friends from church told us about Biscuit. Lavina put the license and the board on the table before we asked, and we signed up that week.”
Briar T.Parent of a three-year-old
Sample reviews.
Through the year
Open houses, first days and closures
Come to an open house to see every room, or book a tour any weekday.
This school year
Early March
Open houseSpring open house
See all five rooms and meet the teachers. Church neighbors and Biscuit families are both welcome.
Mid April
Late May
EventSend-off for the Fours
The Fours' families join us in the yard to say goodbye before kindergarten.
Mid August
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 from Christmas Eve through New Year's Day.
Sample dates.
Our years
Over thirty years on one street
Biscuit has been on Lowry Street longer than some of our parents have been parents. This is how it grew, one room at a time.
- The beginning
Step 1: One room and a porch
Lavina opened with one room, six children and a porch where parents waited out the first weeks.
- The early years
Step 2: A room for babies
Families kept coming back with a second child, so a second room opened for the youngest ones.
- Ten years in
Step 3: The back lot becomes a yard
A fence, a sandbox and a garden bed turned the gravel behind the house into the yard we use every day.
- Twenty years in
Step 4: Children who came back
Some of the first children to start here came back as parents, and a few of them brought their own.
- The church neighbors
Step 5: Drop-off at half past six
Families from the churches down the street arrive when the door opens, and some of the same teachers still wave them in.
- Now
Step 6: Five rooms, seventy-five children
Five rooms from six weeks to pre-K, still on Lowry Street, still with the front door open at 6:30.
How to enroll
- 01
Step 1: Get in touch
Call the front desk, text us or use the form. Grayce or Lavina answers within a day.
- 02
Step 2: Book a tour
Come see the rooms with your child, on any weekday. A tour takes about half an hour, and Lavina answers whatever you ask, tuition included.
- 03
Step 3: Apply
Fill in the application and tell us the room, the schedule and the month you hope to start. If the room is full, we put your family on the waitlist.
- 04
Step 4: Register
When a place opens, 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 whatever your child sleeps with. A teacher meets you at the room door, and you're welcome to stay a while.
Questions
What families ask us first
What ages do you take?
Six weeks to five years, in five rooms: Infants, Toddlers, Twos, Threes and Fours. Brothers and sisters of enrolled children can join us before and after the school day when there is room.
Can we tour?
Yes, on any weekday. Book a tour and Lavina or Grayce walks you through every room. Your child is welcome to come along.
What does a day look like?
Families arrive when the door opens at 6:30. Children play, sing and hear a story, eat lunch family style, rest, spend time in the yard and are picked up by 5:30.
Is Biscuit licensed?
Yes. Biscuit is licensed by Tennessee DHS. The license hangs at the front desk, and the board on this site links to where you can look it up.
How many children does each teacher care for?
It depends on the room. Each room's number is on the care board, next to our license.
How does tuition work?
Tuition depends on your child's room, the schedule you choose and the days a week your child comes. Lavina gives you the figures in writing at the tour.
What if my child is sick?
Keep your child home with a fever, vomiting or a rash you can't explain, and send them back after a full day without symptoms. If your child feels unwell here, we call you at once.
Who may pick up my child?
Only the people on your pickup list. We ask anyone we don't know for a photo ID, and we call you before we release a child to a name that isn't on the list.
What about babies?
Infants sleep on their backs, in their own cribs, with nothing else in the crib. Families bring the milk or formula and tell us each baby's schedule, and we feed on that schedule.
How do I join the waitlist?
Tell us the room and the month you hope to start, on the form or at a tour. If the room is full, we put your family on the waitlist and call in the order families joined.