All photos by Ali Matthews.
When it comes to childcare, no two families are alike. Every family has different needs and expectations for their care, not to mention the tinges of parental guilt no matter where or whom you leave your child with.
Victoria Sopik, Founder & CEO of Kids and Company, entrepreneur, and mother of eight knows this first hand. As a result, she has created a Canadian-grown childcare empire by listening to parents and providing the top-notch care, programming, and services to comfort even the most anxious parent or child.
Now, marking their 80TH location across Canada and the United States, and their fourth in Ottawa (other locations: Kanata, Eagleson and Albert St.), Kids & Company held a grand opening and ribbon cutting with Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson on October 14th, 2016 for their newest facility in Westboro, at 319 McCrae Ave.
“We are thrilled to be in Westboro,” said Victoria Sopik. “It is such a vibrant part of your beautiful city. Full of young professional families that need flexible, high-quality child care.”
With close to 10,000 child care spaces and over 40,000 families using them, Kids & Company knows a thing or two about what works for families and one of those things is flexibility. Flexible and part-time childcare is difficult to find, especially in a daycare setting. However, there seems to be a cultural shift that is moving mothers and fathers away from the traditional 9-5. Kids and Company is a trailblazer in this respect in not only offering this type of care but specializing in it from the beginning.
“Our brand is based on guaranteed child care, we don’t have wait lists. [Instead] we have special software and we have become very good at making sure that we can accommodate the needs of our working families,” explained Ms. Sopik.
Along with no wait lists and flexible care (part-time, casual and emergency), the top differentiators between Kids & Company and traditional childcare facilities are a proprietary curriculum, healthy meals made in-house, and webcams in each space.
Yes, webcams! You can tune into your child’s classroom anytime that they are in the facility through your secure login. You can even sign up additional family members to have access, including proud grandparents. If that isn’t enough information for you, parents can also expect a full breakdown of their child’s day via email.
The space itself is also a breath of fresh air. When you enter the Westboro facility you will be greeted by high ceilings, bright colours, and walls of cubbies just waiting for their new owners. The infant, toddler and preschool rooms are warm and inviting with plenty of toys, books, and a lot of little nooks and cozy spaces. Furnishings are supplied by Wintergreen, a Canadian company, and are all the perfect size for pint-sized independence.
In addition to a full-service kitchen and a tree-lined outdoor play space, this location also boasts a large indoor gross-motor skills room perfect for kids of all ages to burn plenty of energy even during the coldest Ottawa winter day.
As for that dreaded parental guilt, Kids & Company takes that out of the equation as well. They offer free transition and have the plans in place to make it as easy as possible on the children and the parents.
The Westboro facility will be open for business soon, but in the meantime you can book a tour and to learn more.
