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A Sarnia Business Woman's Success Story
by Nadine Wark, June 18th, 2010 |
Diane McConaghy of Sarnia is a business woman who has worked out of her home for many years doing something she loves…providing a nurturing and positive environment caring for babies and children in her home. Born in Jamaica, her parents and five of her siblings moved to Canada when Diane was 12 years old, with two brothers remaining in Jamaica. “I love Canada,” admits Diane, “and all the opportunities it has to offer.”
Diane is a 1979 graduate of the Lambton College nursing program and worked as a registered nurse in Sarnia as well as Port Huron. Her studies included pediatrics and growth and development of children. Although she enjoyed nursing, she made a decision to change directions in her career path of caring for others when a friend suggested that being a child home care provider would allow her to be at home with her young children, ages 6 and 8 at the time. “I could be a child again and join in the fun.”
For the past 25 years, Diane has been under contract as a home provider with Lambton Rural Child Care (LRCC) who provide quality child care programs for babies and children in Sarnia-Lambton as well as Chatham-Kent. LRCC is a not-for-profit organization funded by the child care fees and partially by the government. Lori Veroude, Executive Director says, “financial assistance is also available for those who qualify. Our Home Child Care offers flexcare, including days, evenings, overnights and weekends for children ages 0 - 12 and our providers are carefully screened, selected and monitored to ensure that our homes and programming are meeting high standards.”
LRCC works with the care providers with respect to schedules and ages of children, etc. and what their preferences are. Diane McConaghy cares for up to five children at a time, all of them over the age of 1 as “small babies would take away time and attention I need with the older children.” Her workday starts at 3:30 p.m. with some staying part of the evening while others stay overnight which is ideal for parents who are shift workers. Bedtime is between 7:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. for everyone, however, Diane explains, “I am flexible with the older children who are allowed to quietly play computer games. This plan usually works out for everyone and because I keep my kids so busy with activities, at bedtime they are exhausted and cooperative.”
Upon meeting Diane in her home, this writer’s first impression was “what a clean and well-kept home.” She informed me that several of ‘her kids’ have stated “I want to keep my house just like you do some day.” (now that is a compliment for any woman!) Lori Veroude says, “Diane has always been super organized and consistent, with order and cleanliness an important part of her structure. Her kids know exactly what to expect.”
A tour of the cozy bedrooms conveyed the feeling that these rooms are definitely for sleeping with absolutely no distractions. There was a definite absence of toys, books or puzzles, however, Diane led me downstairs to the roomy lower level, bright and colourful and well-equipped to accommodate her kids and keep them occupied and entertained. There were several shelves displaying what was missing in the bedrooms, along with playground equipment and some neat hiding places, as brothers Presley and Branyn demonstrated. The backyard is also fully equipped with a basketball net, golf and playground equipment, along with a picnic table used for crafts and dining outside depending on the weather.
Diane describes a ‘typical’ day…”I try to meet the individual needs of the children while at the same time having structure. Many of these children do not have a lot of ‘free play time’ so I incorporate that, along with craft time, plenty of activities both inside and out and of course, snacktime. Those who are staying overnight get a nutritional supper and sit and do puzzles at my kitchen counter while I prepare the meal. There is limited access to TV and the kids do not mind at all. I have built a special relationship with the children, based on trust.” Just how attached does she get with her kids?...”the longer you have them, the stronger the attachment. I once had two sisters who were with me for as long as 12 years and they still come to my home for Jamaican cooking lessons.” It’s also a second generation thing as Diane once had a girl in her care who now brings her own child.
Diane gives her husband, Lucky much of the credit for being successful in her child care home business. “I consider my husband to be my silent partner. He keeps everything at our home safe and maintained and has always been a huge support. This means a lot with overnight care of the children.”
In her spare time, Diane likes to golf and does so five times a week. She also enjoys exercising/working out, cooking and, of course, hanging out with children who never fail to keep her young at heart and allow her to have “the best job in the whole world.”
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Offering a Greener Way to Learn & Play
April 22nd, 2009 |
As part of the Best Start Initiative, Lambton Rural Child Care has opened the Brooke Alvinston Child Care Centre, located in Brooke Central Public School.
The Child Care Centre offers, not only child care, but will help to identify and intervene in pre-school speech and language and infant hearing and speech. They will offer public health programs, including postpartum/maternal depression assistance, nutritional programs, parenting programs and early learning programs for children not yet eligible for JK.
The Brooke Alvinston Hub will also assist the community with the development of links to specialized services for children and families requiring additional support. The services offered within the Brooke Alvinston Hub will be available for all children and families in the communities, not just for the children attending Brooke Central Public School.
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Lambton Rural Child Care has been chosen to operate the childcare and early learning programs for the community. The childcare programs offered by Lambton Rural Child Care will enhance the single integrated seamless point of access to a wide range of core child programs to enhance the healthy early development. Their program offers a minimum of 67 childcare spaces to the community. The programs will offer childcare spaces for infants, toddlers, junior and intermediate preschool, the ELF program, school aged children and before and after school children.
On Earth Day, the Child Care Hub celebrated with a tree planting ceremony. The trees were donated by SA&P in Petrolia from their “Branch out with New Businesses Cards” campaign. They gave away Free Trees to anybody who bought business cards. The campaign was a success with over 125 trees planted in and around Sarnia-Lambton.
For more information about SA&P please visit their website at www.stokesap.ca or call (519) 333 -3318. |
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