The way Yvan sees it, childcare is an investment—in the future of his family, his kids, and his business.
The local entrepreneur and his wife, Kathryn, were at a critical turning point in their lives when they unexpectedly found themselves in the market for a new childcare centre for their son, Leo, nine years ago. Yvan had just given up a steady income to launch his own business, and the family’s main breadwinner, Kathryn, was self-employed and working non-traditional hours as a massage therapist.
“Kathryn couldn’t afford to take time off, and I was burning the candle at both ends, trying to get my business off the ground,” Yvan remembers. “We needed reliable childcare to keep it all together.”
They found their answer at YW Kitchener-Waterloo’s Duke Street Childcare.
Both Leo and his younger sister, Marlo, thrived in the centre’s care over the next several years, making friends and acquiring social skills, while their parents built two successful businesses to support their growing family.
“Leaving five-month-old Marlo was incredibly stressful,” Kathryn says, “but the staff in the infant room were so loving with her and patient with me.”
The family’s childcare needs look rather different today—11-year-old Leo and nine-year-old Marlo now attend the YW’s before- and after-school program at Sheppard Public School—but the need for a safe, caring, and enriching place to bridge the gaps between work, school, and home remains a constant.
“I couldn’t have met with clients, delivered on deadlines, or attended networking events without the YW,” Yvan says. “And the caregivers are awesome.”
For her part, Kathryn is grateful for the flexibility the YW offers as she completes her education in osteopathy and continues to work full time. “The YW’s programs aren’t just about giving children the best possible starts in life,” says Kathryn. “They support working parents and create healthy families and communities.”
As far as investments go, they agree that this one has been a winner.
