In September, I finished my first parental leave and was excited to return to work at KW Habilitation.  In preparation for my return to work, we had to sign our son up for child care.  Like any parent, I was worried about how he (and we) would adjust.  We had spent the last several months together learning about each other and suddenly I had to trust and rely on strangers to take care of my son.

There’s a big learning curve when it comes to enrolling your first child in a child care program, and I’m grateful to share that the Early Learning team at KW Habilitation supported me through this process.  I didn’t even know where to start, so the KW Hab SNAP coordinators pointed me to OneList, Waterloo Region’s Child Care Application and Waitlist portal. I applied for several different options and set up tours at a few different centres.  

When I arrived at each centre for our tour, I was so thrilled to see that KW Hab and the Early Learning team had a presence in each location.  The folks giving us tours would tell us about the Resource Consultation support provided by KW Habilitation and as a new mom, it gave me a lot of confidence.  

Resource Consultants at KW Habilitation visit all the licensed early learning child care programs in the Region of Waterloo.  When a parent or educator has a concern about a child, they can access support from KW Habilitation by connecting with a SNAP Coordinator.  Resource Consultants work in partnership with the educators at each program to make sure that the strengths and goals of every child are celebrated and nurtured.  

We were so fortunate to find a space in a licensed child care program called The Oaks Early Learning.  My son has thrived in their care and I see in the mornings when I drop him off that he’s happy to be there.  It is a huge relief to know he’s safe and cared for by excellent educators.  Even though I don’t currently have any concerns about how my child is adjusting and learning at The Oaks, it is so comforting to know that Tina Gaudin, a Resource Consultant from KW Habilitation, supports the program.  My work as a Communications Coordinator is nested in the Early Learning program, but this is the first time I’ve had the chance to see what our Early Learning team does first hand.  As a new mom,  knowing that these supports exist give me peace of mind and confidence to continue working while my son is in child care.