A Community Partner’s Perspective

“Often we don’t take time to say thank you. So…I would like to say thank you to all the staff at Churchill Park. We are truly appreciative of all the work they do. I think it provides a strong start to their little lives when children get the kind of care they receive at a Churchill Park site. Families come to our community from all over the world and trying to find child care is very difficult. Without Churchill Park there would be a huge gap for these families. Many are low income, immigrant families and Churchill Park provides them with an invaluable service. Without Churchill Park, I think many more children would be on the streets until their parents were available.”

A Child’s Perspective

“We are the parents of two children enrolled with …Churchill Park Family Care Society since 2005. In all the years, we were very satisfied with the services provided by Churchill Park. There are a number of reasons to be this way. They provide an unparalleled environment for the kids to be together and to socialize in a safe environment. The Society’s personnel have the skills and the tact to handle a rather complex ethnic and cultural gathering of young subjects. They provide a very helpful aid and a comprehensive solution to the “time” problem many parents have. Many, if not most, of the parents having kids enrolled with Churchill Park are first generation immigrants in Canada and generally both of the parents are working full time. It is imperative for them to have a double source of income. Churchill Park helps us by providing the before and after school care service at affordable rates. We consider their existence to be vital for us as a family and we consider Churchill Park to be doing a great service to the community.”

Parent Testimonial

“As a single parent with a young daughter, I cannot say enough about the services provided by Churchill Park Family Care Society, nor of the peace of mind that I have knowing that my daughter is in Churchill Park’s care. I know that my day-to-day cares have been greatly lessened with the trust I have in Churchill Park.

Churchill Park continually strives to diversify activities for the children in their care. On non-instruction days, there are always a wide range of activities, from going on outings to grabbing lunch out or going to a film. I am always touched by the generosity of Churchill Park as the outings and activities and even the lunches out are provided without additional charges to me. Our area is very mixed, with many new arrivals to Canada. Many of the families are working two jobs while they work toward accreditation in Canada, and not having to worry about the little charges here and there would have to be a great relief to them.

As the years have gone by my daughter has grown through her experiences with Churchill Park and I feel she is a better child due to her attending Churchill Park. I am confident that my experiences could be multiplied many times over for every child under Churchill Park’s care. I feel that Churchill Park provides an invaluable service to the community, and I feel very lucky to have had the good fortune to encounter Churchill Park.”

A Caregiver’s Perspective

“Working for Churchill Park as a Primary Caregiver has given me a knowledge of who we are and the dedicated work we do each day.

Each site has unique clientele and therefore different needs. We can all be proud of the effort that Churchill Park puts in on a daily basis on all levels to ensure that families’ needs are met. The quality care each staff provides is the base, and the extra mile they go beyond their jobs to help each child grow is amazing.

Churchill Park is unique in the unity they create with the staff, managers and children. Everyone feels valued which provides a better work environment. A parent can feel confident that when they leave, their child is receiving all the nutrition they require in a day, activities from every developmental area and lots of love and attention that the parent would be providing if he or she was able to be with them.

What is really great is that we are always striving to improve, from menus to space and planning. During holidays and tough times with families and staff we give the support we can through the Family Resource Facilitation Project to make sure that everyone has what they need to survive.

Working with children and families can be very rewarding and challenging at the same time. Therefore the type of support and understanding you receive from the company you work for builds the accomplishment of each employee. Churchill Park is a wonderful place to work with a lot of opportunities and support.”

Bright Lights Testimonials

My son has been attending the Brightlights location of Churchill Park for just over a year now. It was the first time leaving my son after returning from maternity leave so was a tough time for both of us. All of the staff at the centre were very understanding and helped make it an easy transition. He has since moved to a toddler room and has really blossomed. My husband and I have been very happy with our experience with the Brightlights Centre. It is a safe and secure environment where we never worry about leaving our son. They offer a great routine for the kids with lots of outdoor play, well balanced snacks and meals, arts and crafts, other fun activities and a good teacher to child ratio. The entire staff are excellent. All are very friendly and knowledgeable and, you can tell, genuinely care about the kids. They are very good at keeping parents informed whether it be letting us know how they ate or slept or just something funny they did during the day as well as monthly newsletters and other communications . I especially love that the location is close to my work and I can peek in throughout the day to watch my son playing with his friend or eating his lunch. At the end of the day my son always wants to stay and play so I know he is happy here too.

“Bright Lights has been a great place for our precious daughter, she absolutely loves it there. She is excited to get up in the morning and as soon as I ask “do you want to go to the day care?” She promptly jumps and smiles shouting “YES YES !”. That means the world to us. She has developed a great bond with all the staff. Also my own experience interacting with the staff has been fantastic, they are great in getting to know each child individually. They have been very caring when my daughter has had special dietary needs. The attention was fantastic, they were great giving me updates on her eating progress. We liked them so much that we already signed our soon to be born son to join the daycare as well. With Bright Lights we are confident that our daughter is being given the care and attention that nurtures her and helps her to grow both physically and mentally. We have complete peace of mind in the environment they have created.”

PlayPenn Testimonials

They say it takes a Village and that is what the staff at Churchill Park has been and continues to be to our family. A village of caring, nurturing child development specialists; all from very different backgrounds, countries, walks of life. All bringing with them their unique brand of love.

Our family was introduced to Churchill Park by another friend who spoke highly of the care that her son received while he was there. Even if the point of this was to credit a single person at a single facility with their actions, I don’t know that I could because it truly is a village. Every child is touched by every staff member from the front office, to the kitchen through every room. They all know our children. They all care about our children. When my son left daycare last year to start school, it was bitter-sweet because he was growing up and moving on. He has fond memories of daycare and asks to come with me to pick up my daughter sometimes. He is also quick to talk about that ‘bad daycare’ – the one we were at for 2 months before being able to get a spot. He still talks about how they wouldn’t let him carry the picture of his family around with him to give him comfort. At Churchill Park, comfort is all around. There are pictures and reminders of your family on the walls, in your cot, in the conversations with your ‘teachers’. There are hugs when you are sad and excitement when you learn a new skill. Most of all, there is patience and understanding at how hard it can be to just be a kid some days.

My son’s kindergarten teacher spoke of how well prepared the “Churchill Park kids” were (the ones in her class). That they were advanced in their knowledge and experience beyond the other children. I am grateful for every number, letter, shape, lesson that my children have learned about during their day. I don’t know how I could ever have accomplished the same things if I stayed home with them. I am grateful for every lesson I have learned as well. How to have more patience as a parent (than I ever thought possible). How to let them learn on their own. How to grant little bits of independence long before I thought they were ready. How to be a more confident parent.

So, the impact to our family is that our family is so much larger than it was before. Because YOU are all a part of our family. That is what YOUR actions mean every day. To say “Thank you” never seems like enough. Please take every hug from our children as our expression of gratitude for being there, when we cannot be, and as acknowledgement of our trust and confidence in what you do every day for all of us. For what it is worth and from the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU.

The caregivers at PlayPenn mean a lot to our Family. We have a peace of mind that our little one is in a safe / caring environment. Aside from Family, the PlayPenn caregivers are the closest interaction with our child.

Oftentimes on the weekend our little one seems out of her element because she truly misses daycare and the wonderful caregivers.

It takes a certain personality and temperament to care for young children – it is certainly not an easy job, thanks to all the staff and all you do.

My son is “my life” and each day that I bring my son to the PlayPenn I am entrusting you, his educators, with “my life.” But I can walk away calm and at peace, because I know that he is safe and happy. He will receive nourishment for his mind and body. He will laugh and play and learn. You each bring unique skills and personal characteristics to the room. What you do each day matters. I know my son enjoys his time with each of you. And although it is bitter sweet when he does not want to leave at the end of the day, it provides me with daily confirmation that the PlayPenn is the right choice for “my life”.

Pump-Kin Patch Testimonials

Our daughter has received outstanding care at two Churchill Park child care centres, BabyWorks and Pump-Kin Patch. The love and individual care team members show the children and families is fantastic. With excellent training and research-based care practices, Churchill Park centres create a truly special environment where children thrive. As a family, we feel fortunate to have discovered Churchill Park!

The Pumpkin Patch is an exceptional place for little people due to the wonderful, caring big people who work there and the creative educational programming they have developed. We were so fortunate to have our three children move through the Pumpkin Patch program and while in many ways a nanny would have been more convenient and cost-effective for us as parents, we knew that our children were better off at the Pumpkin Patch. The care, compassion and patience the team demonstrates is evident in everything they do. And our little people are confident, playful and know their way around downtown better than most adults.