Parents readying themselves for the fall season are often faced with the difficult decision of how to handle childcare.
With a range of options from private to regulated day homes to daycare centres – Play Days day home agency co-ordinator Maureen Topp understands it’s a stressful, weighty decision for working moms and dads.
“I recall how stressful it was looking for childcare when my oldest daughters were young, so I empathize with how overwhelming it can be for families to evaluate options,” said Topp, herself a mother of four.
As the co-ordinator for Cochrane’s only local licensed and accredited agency that provides regulatory oversight on behalf of the ministry, Play Days is run through the Boys and Girls Club of Cochrane and Area.
As Cochrane continues to grow, Topp said the agency is seeking more providers to come online to provide safe and secure childcare options to serve the continuous influx of families in need of reliable and professional childcare.
“It’s a service both for parents and providers,” explained Topp, adding that the agency’s facilities offer childcare through 31 day homes – a number she expects will reach 36 by next month.
She said that there are limited spaces available for children under two, which the agency hopes will be alleviated with more providers opening their doors in the coming weeks.
The goal of Play Days is to connect families with licensed and regulated day home providers – although Topp said she encourages parents to contact the agency for advice, even if they wind up opting for a private day home provider or a daycare centre.
Susan Watkins has been a day home provider through Play Days for nine years. The mother of three opted to stay at home with her own three young children at the time while earning an income – only to realize that childcare was a passion.
“For me, it was the stability that they provide you … I always say to people that it’s peace of mind with Play Days,” she said, adding that she takes part in the many, varied programming and networking opportunities the agency facilitates.
Jen Fischer spent 10 years as a day home provider in town – the last eight of which she was with Play Days.
Although she closed her day home three years ago to move forward with other ventures, she said that the perks through the agency extend beyond programming and peace of mind to help those in need.
“Another positive thing is that being in a regulated day home, subsidy is available for those families who qualify,” said Fischer. “Overall it was a great agency and they were always there for support when needed.”
Some of what the agency takes care of includes criminal record checks, a comprehensive vetting and interviewing process, monthly home inspections and regular visits, and assurances that minimum child development education, health and safety requirements are being met.
The agency also takes care of all parent invoicing and subsidy applications on behalf of the provider.
The 12 per cent agency fees added to monthly childcare fees go back into the non-profit’s operational costs – including networking opportunities, workshops, programming and provider support.
Topp said she recommends all parents familiarize themselves with the Family Day Home Standards manual for Alberta.
To learn more visit bgccochrane.ca/play-days.
