After spending one to two years on a waiting list, mothers here in the Pontiac are lucky if they find adequate subsidized daycare centers for their little ones. The entire Pontiac has only three subsidized daycare centers that can not adaquatly serve the growing need for childcare services.

A local from Ladysmith has recognized the need and . . .

after working in the childcare industry for about seven years, she decided to open her own subsidized at-home daycare center.

Going into university thinking she was going to get her teaching degree, Jessica Palmer always expected she would become a high school teacher, but as part of her program students need to participate in teaching all age groups. When it was time to work with kindergarteners she said, “I ended up loving it.”

“I never thought I would like the young kids, but you can’t compare their passion and their cuteness. The way they’re learning because they’re seeing it for the first time,” said Palmer.

Palmer said she is excited about the challenge of working with different age groups, as she currently has six kids ranging from ten months to four years of age. “I get to do art every single day. I get to teach them important life skills,” she said.

She currently works at the Centre de la Petite Enfance, in Fort-Coulonge, where she has been for the last nine months since she moved to the area from Montreal.

Palmer pointed out that from among her friends, she had heard about the high demand for childcare and hearing about it since she moved back home to the Pontiac, Palmer said, “I knew that I wanted to bring that option back home and I wanted them to be able to stay here and not have to move away from home just because they did not have the option [of childcare].”

Palmer is among many people who have decided to move back home during the pandemic and noticed everyone in her age group would go on a waiting list at the beginning of their pregnancy, and still be waiting a year or two after giving birth. New moms would get on waiting lists but “there’s just never going to be a spot because it’s always packed, packed, packed,” said Palmer.

Being inspired by some of her friends who moved away from the city to open their own daycare centers, Palmer started the process of opening a daycare in her home. After getting certified she announced she will be opening her own daycare on January 10, 2022. “As soon as I advertised, I had floods of people. And I only have six spots, I felt their desperation,” said Palmer, it only took her a week from the time that she posted her advertisement to fill up her spots, she added.

Palmer’s subsidized daycare falls under the Picabou umbrella, as it is a recognized organization that offers educational childcare for the MRC Pontiac. Because it is supported by the government, it is affordable for parents and still a sustainable business for Palmer.

With the very high level of interest Palmer felt really supported by the community: “It was just overwhelmingly positive.” She said shopkeepers were thrilled and excited to support her new business and see her back in her hometown because it means more younger families are moving back.

Register or subscribe to read this content

Thanks for stopping by! This article is available to readers who have created a free account or who subscribe to The Equity.

When you register for free with your email, you get access to a limited number of stories at no cost. Subscribers enjoy unlimited access to everything we publish—and directly support quality local journalism here in the Pontiac.

Register or Subscribe Today!