Licensed in-home childcare agency Wee Watch is expanding to provide additional childcare spaces in Guelph. Wee Watch has been supporting Ontario families and childcare providers for 40 years.
Today, they support 44 licensed agencies, 1,300 childcare providers, and 6,600 children across Ontario. To celebrate this milestone, the organization is making significant donations to charities and celebrating with their providers and the children they care for.
Celebrating 40 Years Serving Ontario Families
To begin their year-long celebration, Wee Watch is donating at total of $40,000 to four charities.
The chosen groups are Food4Kids, who provide nutritious food for children experiencing food insecurity, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabillitation Hospital, which is Canada’s largest rehab hospital, Water First, who provides education and tools for communities without to safe drinking water, and Ovarian Cancer Canada, for research and support. Each of these four charities will receive $10,000 from Wee Watch to continue their important work.
Wee Watch will continue to celebrate throughout the year with special activities for their providers and the children in care.
Providing In-Home Childcare with Wee Watch
In addition to celebrating this important milestone, Wee Watch is actively searching for qualified providers to offer in-home childcare in order to serve the growing needs of Ontario families.
“We are looking for new providers to join our team to help support families looking for quality childcare at more affordable rates through the Canada Wide Early Learning Child Care Program (CWELCC),” says Anita Compston, Area Supervisor with Wee Watch. “Experience working with infants and children or having your own children is preferred but not required.”
She explains that Wee Watch looks for childcare providers who have the following skills and abilities:
- Love children
- Understand the import role that childcare providers have in the lives of the children in their care
- Self-motivated and enjoy working at home.
- Are both professional and compassionate
- Have excellent communication skills
- Are exceptional multi-taskers who can manage multiple children’s needs
- Have up-to-date Standard First Aid/CPR-C from an accredited organization
- Have a clear Vulnerable Sector Criminal Record Check.
- Are willing to care for up to six children in their own home
- Are at least 21 years old
Wee Watch Providers Receive Exceptional Support
Partnering with Wee Watch allows childcare providers to have the support of the highly experienced organization every day while still choosing their own hours and working from home. The agency even provides Wee Learn and Together Wee Can educational programming resources, which is unique to Wee Watch.
“Providers who partner with Wee Watch receive a lot of support, including home set-up, initial and ongoing training, possible provision of childcare equipment, and assistance dealing with day-to-day challenges,” explains Anita. “You can work from home and choose the hours and families you want to care for.”
Partnering with a licensed agency like Wee Watch allows childcare providers to focus on the children while the agency takes care of matching families to homes, collecting parent fees, and providing training. They may also provide some equipment for use depending on the needs of the children in the home and back up care may be available when a provider is on vacation or ill. In addition, Wee Watch also provides insurance coverage and access to additional pay through government grants, when available.
Quality In-Home Childcare
Wee Watch has a long history of supporting childcare providers across Ontario. They see the importance of reflecting the diversity of each community and work closely with their providers. At the same time, they ensure that parents are confident that their children are receiving the best care possible.
Anita explains, “The home environment is the ideal setting for safe, nurturing childcare focused on the individual needs of each child. When your child is in a Wee Watch home, you have peace of mind knowing they are in the best possible childcare environment.”
She continues, “We also ensure that our providers meet the government regulatory requirements, safety standards, and have everything they need to get started. Our providers complete a comprehensive interview and screening process as well as an in-depth training and home set-up program. Every adult in the home is screened, both medically and criminally. We have rigorous standards for home cleanliness and safety that exceeds the provincial government’s requirements. Additionally, our home visitors go to every home each month for an unscheduled visit to ensure that all health and safety protocols are being met as well as to support providers with educational programming and child development advice.”
To learn more about becoming a Wee Watch childcare provider or to find quality childcare for your family, visit Wee Watch online or (519) 830-3032.