Nicole's Tot-Time Daycare

A little bit about Miss Nicole

My career in childcare began when I was 12 years old. Being a big sister, I proudly provided care to my younger brother and sister and then my step nieces and nephews. When I was 15 years old we moved from the country into town and this opened up a whole new world for me, I became a live out nanny. I provided childcare for a single parent who needed afternoon/evening care . This arrangement worked out great as it allowed me to finish high school during the day. The position was with 3 boys, 12 months, 2 yrs, and 4 yrs old.

I was almost 17 years old when I left my nanny position to attended college taking Correctional worker, which would allow me to work with children and youths in different types of facilities/homes. However, this path was not for me. I graduated at 19 yrs old and quickly discovered that my height was a disadvantage in the work force as it was difficult to find a position working with youths when you looked like a youth and age was not on my side.

After college I decided it was time to start my family. It was at this point in my life that I decided I wanted to stay at home and raise my daughter. When Carissia was 6 months old it occurred to me that I would love to accept children into my home to provide a stimulating environment and peer interaction that only other children could provide.

I continued to baby-sit until my second daughter was born. I took six months maternity leave and then joined an home daycare agency. I quickly discovered the difference between baby-sitting and being a home daycare provider. I worked with the agency in developing age appropriate programming, menus, and activities.

Daycare continued to flourish. 10 years and a move later, I decided to slow down business and accepted only before and after school care to allow myself to attend college to obtain my Early Childhood Education (E.C.E.) diploma. This was an easy transition with both my children in school. After completing my E.C.E, a window of opportunities became available for me. I I decided to work as a supply teacher in different facilities to gain a well rounded experience in the childcare field before establishing where I would like to work. The positions I held were: a temporary position as a Enhanced Support Worker with a child with Down's Syndrome which was an extremely rewarding position; a temporary/supply position with as a preschool teacher in a nursery school program, which reinforced that I was not very good at remembering children's names; and a supply float teacher at a great centre, which was a very rewarding experience.

I worked supply for a year and discovered that although my children were older, I didn't like the feeling of knowing that I wasn't there to answer their call when the were ill or hurt at school (In the E.C.E. field often we are not permitted to have our cell phones on) and had to rely on others to relay phone messages that could get lost on someone's desk. When working in a childcare centre it is very difficult to leave work early when your child becomes ill as you were responsible for attending to children that you were not able to travel with and maintaining child/teacher ratios. During the year of my 'discovering what I wanted to do', I was a single parent with my husband deployed in Afghanistan, which made my situation that much more difficult. Being a stay at home mom at heart, working in a position that didn't allow me to leave work and attend to my own children wasn't for me so I came back to home childcare which would allow me continue with my love of working with children while allowing me to be there for my own.

Miss Nicole's Family

Tom: My husband is a MP (Military Police Officer) and loves his job, ok, most of the time. Being army he is a soldier at heart. We have been together a long, as we were high school sweethearts. Tom helps in the daycare by providing back up care and assistance as needed.

Carissia: My oldest daughter is 16 years old and a wonderful help to daycare. Carissia will be actively involved in before and after school care. She will also be available to work in my home for evening and weekend care. Once we get to know a family and transportation can be arranged, she will be available to baby-sit in the families' home on weekends.

Sammy: My youngest is 13 years old will benefit daycare in so many ways, as a playmate to older children and a peer to the younger children. Sammy is completely bilingual in French and English. She is beneficial in translating if I do not understand.