With all the kids dressed in their Sunday best for the celebration, the little ones enjoyed a plethora of fun activites throughout the afternoon including a photo booth with personalized polaroid pictures and an interactive, animated musical performance from Dr. Safari and Jungle Kim, courtesy of MJ Anim’Action.

Plus, they indulged on some delicious food and drink as the group held an informal juice and cheese luncheon to cap off the event.

According to the daycare’s President Diane Daigle, the CPE in Luskville has played a crucial role in providing local families with access to child care services. However, she’s conscious that a lot more work needs to be done.

“We’re answering just a portion of the need because we still have a long waiting list and it’s a very small part of the need,” she said. “But it’s better than nothing.

Having worked at the daycare for 20 years, Daigle feels like she’s developed a sense of membership in the community at large.

Daigle explained that the daycare was established at a time when the need for such a business in the region was severe and immediate. So, when she was presented with an opportunity to be part of it and promote it to the community, she jumped on board right away.

“Parents were scratching their heads to find a daycare in their communities,” she said. “I was very interested and when it took off, I got the job to work here.”

With nearly 25 years of experience as a child caregiver, Daigle has met too many people from her time at the daycare to remember them individually. But seeing generation after generation of locals come through the daycare, knowing the impact she’s had on countless familes, never ceases to bring her joy.

“I see the kids that I took care of in a family environment and now I’m starting to see their little kids,” she said. “The parents who I saw their kids grow, now I see them come here as grandparents coming to pick up their grandkids. So, I really see the wheel turning and it’s very enriching, it’s a beautiful gift for me to see that.”

As for what the future brings, Daigle is hopeful for another 20 years just as rewarding as the previous two decades.

Having seen countless people walk through the daycare’s doors over the course of her career, from kids, to parents to employees, Daigle believes those faces all play a part in the history of the daycare – a history that keeps on going.

“Everyone who passed through here, this is the result that it gives,” she said. “It hasn’t finished growing and evolving and becoming better. It can only get better still.”

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