YMCA OF GREATER TORONTO

"You Are Appreciated!"

Child Care Worker and Early Childhood Educator Appreciation Day, October 21, 2026

The messages below were shared by families, coworkers, and community partners to celebrate and thank the incredible people who care for and inspire children.

Those who provide both care and programs for children bring light to every day—they ignite curiosity, confidence, and joy in the lives they touch. We’re deeply grateful for all that you do.

Thank you so much to all the educators in my daughter Grace’s toddler room, in particular Shereka. I know it’s been a challenge with her transitioning into daycare but you have been so patient and incredibly kind. Thank you for all the reassuring cuddles you have given her and all you are teaching her. I really can’t thank you enough! Shereka, Chelsea, Natalie and team, thank you for all that you do.

From Grace and Family

This is a heartfelt appreciation to all the educators at the infant, toddler and pre-school classes and the rest of the staff at the amazing Waverly YMCA! You have supported and nurtured Tomi and Temi, turning them into confident and happy kids who are eager to learn and explore the world around them. Your kindness and care does not go unnoticed. We deeply appreciate all that you do to make every school day of their childhood a wonderful experience.
Thank you so much, we appreciate you!

From Tomi, Temi and Family.

Love you and miss you all so much!

From Haidar, Mila and Lama

Hi Redelma and Michelle,
I just wanted to say thank you for everything. Transitioning to a new branch can be so stressful, but your warmth and care made it all go so smoothly for Haidar.
He loves you guys so much and is honestly so happy there. It melts my heart every morning when he wakes up and immediately asks if he can go see Redelma!
Thank you for being so wonderful with him and making him feel right at home.

From Lama, Haidar’s mom

Happy Child Care Worker & Early Childhood Educator Appreciation Day!
A big thank you to ALL the amazing staff at Russel D Barber YMCA for everything you do for our kid! It means so much to know our children are cared for, supported, and having fun while they’re with you!
Special Thanks to Samenta, Darshy, Jaswinder, Jasjeet, Amanpreet, Dennis and Helen
Thank you for helping make his days so special!
We appreciate you all more than you know!
From Kiyash’s Parents

From Kiyash Hande

Putting Antonio into daycare was nerve wrecking for us as first time parents.
Seeing Antonio thriving because of how caring the staff is at derrywoods YMCA has made the transition amazing for all of us.
We appreciate all of you!

From Antonio

Thank you dear YMCA teachers for all that you do!!
When I drop my daughter off in the morning and sometimes haven't worried about what/how she may be doing till 3 pm, that's testimony enough for the level of trust and ease we feel as parents with our child in your care. Lots of love and respect to you all!! <3

From Kriti's parents

No words could ever truly express how much your love, care, and guidance mean to us. You’re so much more than Hira’s teacher — you’re her first teacher (Mumma away from) Mumma, and that peace of mind is priceless. 🥹❤️
Thank you for loving, nurturing, and guiding our little girl as your own. We love and appreciate you more than words can say, Ms. Shiva! 😇🙏🏻❤️

From Hira & Yesha

We love all the staff at Parkway! Everyone is so warm and friendly, but a special thank you to CHAMECO and VIVIEN who have worked directly with our children and have shown so much genuine care and love towards them. We know our kids are happy, safe, and loved in your hands. ❤️ The work you do is so incredibly important, we see you!

From From Amado and Belén’s parents

A child wearing a pink coat stands next to a large inflatable black cat.

Happy Child Care Educators Appreciation Day! 💜
Team,
I just wanted to take a moment to say thank you for all that you do.
Every day, you show up with kindness, patience, and so much heart. You help our children feel safe, loved, and confident, and you make a difference in their lives in ways that often go unseen. Whether it's comforting a child, celebrating a milestone, or simply being there when they need you, your work matters more than you know.
I'm so grateful to be part of such a caring, dedicated, and supportive team. The warmth and positivity you bring to our centre make it a special place for our children, families, and each other.
Today is a celebration of all of you and the incredible work you do every day. Thank you for your hard work, your passion, and the love you put into everything you do.
Happy Child Care Educators Appreciation Day! 🌷
With appreciation
Vithyaranya parents

From Saranya, Vinoth kumar

A child sits a table. In front of them is a piece of paper with an illustration of a car.

Happy Early Childhood Educator Appreciation Day!
A heartfelt thank you to all the wonderful educators and staff at YMCA Mazo de la Roche for your kindness, patience, and dedication.
A special thank you to Siddika, Kathleen, Solmaz, and everyone in the Preschool team for the extra care, kindness, and support you provide to our children. Your efforts mean so much to our family! ❤️
Thank you for making our children feel welcomed, loved, supported, and cared for as they learn and grow. Seeing both our children happy and enjoying their time with you makes us happy as parents, too.
We truly appreciate everything you do to create such a positive, safe, and nurturing environment. We’re so grateful to have you as part of our children’s learning journey. Thank you for all that!

From The Raouf Family

A child care educator poses with a child wearing a wool hat and blue winter coat.

On Teacher Appreciation Day, we just wanted to let you know how grateful we are for you. Watching Ahmed grow, learn new things, and talk about you at home brings us so much joy. We always think about you as a second family. Thank you for creating such a safe, happy, and engaging environment for our little one

From Alkandi's family

Thank you for the wonderful work you do and for your continued dedication to our children and families. Your hard work, compassion, and commitment do not go unnoticed, You all are truly appreciated.
THANK YOU!

From Alesia H.

💛 Happy ECE Appreciation Day to all the wonderful Early Childhood Educators! 💛
especially to GEORGE WEBSTER YMCA!!!
As a mother, there is nothing more precious than knowing that my child is cared for with patience, kindness, and understanding, especially when she may not always be able to express her feelings or needs with words.
To Trae, Delza and Quora, thank you for taking care of Bettina. For understanding and support in her own little ways, celebrating her progress, and showing her kindness even on difficult days.
I know that caring for children is not always easy. It takes a special kind of heart to be patient, compassionate, and understanding, especially when every child has different needs and ways of communicating. Your efforts, even the smallest ones, mean more to me than words can express.
I may not always see everything you do throughout the day, but I am truly grateful for the love, care, and effort you give to Bettina. Knowing that she has people around her who are willing to understand and support her gives me so much comfort.
Thank you for seeing beyond her challenges, recognizing her abilities, and giving her the chance to learn, grow, and be herself. You may think you are simply doing your job, but to a parent, what you do can mean the world. 🫶
To all the ECEs, may you always know how valued and appreciated you are. You deserve all the love and recognition today and every day. ♥️

From Michelle and Bettina

Thank you so much for making a difference in our life. Mohammad is loved, cared, appreciated, a guided in so many ways that he will embed these experiences through out his life.
As a parent, i am grateful that my kid is in safe hands for the time he spends at the centre.
thank you so much

From Mohammad’s parents

A child care educator poses next to a young child in blue rain jacket.

Beyond grateful for the incredible teachers in my son’s life!
For Teacher Appreciation Day, I just want to take a moment to appreciate Meenu, Gilline, Pooja, and Manju. You have gone far beyond what I could ever expect from teachers. The love, patience, care, and dedication you show my son mean more to me than words can express.
As parents, there is nothing more comforting than knowing your child is surrounded by people who genuinely care for him, encourage him, guide him, and make him feel loved and safe even when you’re not there. You are so much more than teachers to him, and I’m beyond grateful that he gets to learn, grow, and create beautiful memories with you.
Thank you for the little things you do that may seem ordinary to you but mean the world to us as parents. You truly make a difference in his little world, and I will never take that for granted.
Thank you, Meenu, Gilline, Pooja, and Manju, for being such a beautiful part of my son’s childhood. You are appreciated more than you know!

From Arckya’s parents

The educators at the Palgrave YMCA are so incredible. I was so nervous at first to send my children into care and they exceeded expectations. My 3 kids have gone through the toddler to preschool to before and after care program. Mylene is such a warm hearted, hard working person, I love that she is in the kinder room, she is a perfect fit! She is also so creative, and always providing fantastic recourses for the kiddos. Robert and Jessica make the school age program so fun! Robert is also so funny and kind and truly lovely person.
To the staff working with my son, you are special humans. The things that you deal with on a daily basis outlines what lovely human beings you are. Thank you to Jessica and Francessca for their support in the toddler room. They were kind and fun and so lovely to talk to. They really understood my son and middle daughter and made it feel like they treated them like their own children. To Sukhji, Amanda, and Gwen. You deal with the “terrible twos” you are all built differently. Lol. You provide such fun and comfort and also create strong boundaries.
And to the staff that hop in and out of the kiddos classroom: Azalea, Saadia, Helen, just to name a few, you are so loving and sweet with all the kiddos! Thank you to Shaina for managing everything, it takes special people to look after small kiddos, but a wonderful person to find them.
We are beyond blessed to have such amazing staff at the Palgrave YMCA. Thank you for all you do!

From The Hynds Family

A child wearing a white top and red plastic firefighter hat.

Happy Child Care Worker and Early Childhood Educator Appreciation Day! ❤️🌷
Dear Wonderful Educators,
Today, we celebrate and appreciate the amazing people who make such a beautiful difference in our children’s lives.
Thank you for being such a beautiful part of Rahil’s life. As a mother, nothing means more to me than knowing my little girl is surrounded by people who care for her with love, patience, and kindness.
Thank you for every smile you bring to her face, every little thing you teach her, and every moment you make her feel safe, loved, and special. Your hard work and dedication mean more to our family than words can express.
You are not only helping Rahil learn and grow, but you are also helping create beautiful memories in her childhood that we will always cherish. We feel truly blessed and grateful to have such wonderful educators caring for our precious girl.
Thank you for treating our little princess with so much love. You make a difference in her life every single day, and we appreciate you more than you know.
**A very special thank you to Jummy and Jayna** for the extra love, care, patience, and kindness you show Rahil. Your warmth and dedication mean so much to us, and we are truly grateful to have you both as part of her journey. You will always hold a special place in our hearts. ❤️🌸

From **Rahil’s Family 💕**

A child in a blue sweatshirt plays at an activity station featuring plastic geometric shapes spread out over a black surface.

Dear Mrs. Belle. As November approaches, it’s hard to believe that Angad will have been in your care for a whole year! It truly means so much to us to see how much he has grown, learned, and developed while being a part of your program. I’m constantly amazed and proud of all the things he’s learning, the little things he picks up, and the progress he makes. It makes me so happy knowing that he gets to spend his days with someone who genuinely cares for him and puts so much love, patience, and dedication into what she does. Thank you for taking such wonderful care of Angad and for making him feel so loved and comfortable. The fact that he adores you so much says everything! As a parent, there is no greater feeling than knowing your child is in such good hands. I’m truly grateful that we found you, and I’ll never take for granted the difference you’re making in his little life. You are amazing at what you do, Mrs. Belle, and we feel so lucky to have you as part of Angad’s journey. Thank you for everything you do for him, even the little things that may go unnoticed but mean the world to us.

From Angad Singh’s Parents

A child in a black dress poses behind a pumpkin.

Shout out to Gui Wen, Stacy, Mindy, supply teachers and kitchen staff from the infant room of Water Club YMCA! Joanna enjoys going to school everyday to play with her teachers and peers. It is especially amazing to see her from crawling to walking around and from eating puree to different kinds of solid food. All these small steps represent big leaps in her milestones and they are impossible without the love, care, support and dedication of all of you! You all are incredible and Jonathan and I appreciate your hard work and effort to the highest degree!

From Joanna Huang and family

YMCA North York Forest manor team,
We are deeply grateful to all the educators and staff at YMCA North York for the care, compassion, and security you provide Shiv and Mira each day. The happiness, comfort, and enthusiasm they show at the YMCA speak volumes about the welcoming and joyful environment you have created.
We are especially thankful to Vivian and Katie for their care and encouragement of Shiv, and to Vivian, Abi, and Rose for the kindness and support they give Mira. We also appreciate every staff member who has helped nurture, teach, and encourage our children. Your dedication has shaped their growth, happiness, and treasured memories.
Thank you for creating a place where our children feel welcomed, understood, and cared for. Your meaningful role in their lives means so much to our family. We love and appreciate you all—you are truly extraordinary!!!!

From Mira and Shiv’s parents

A small child in a red hooded sweatshirt.

Happy Child Care Worker and Early Childhood Educator Appreciation Day! ❤️
I just want to say a heartfelt thank you to everyone at St. Boniface YMCA Child Care, especially to Carolina and Sheema, for taking such good care of our little Gabbi.
As a mom, leaving my little one at daycare for the first time was not easy. Since Gabbi started last September, knowing that she is surrounded by people who care for her with kindness and patience has given me so much comfort.
Thank you for making this new chapter a little easier for our family and for giving Gabbi a safe and loving place to learn and grow. We truly appreciate all that you do, more than words can say! ❤️

From Gabrielle’s Mama and Papa

Two adults and a child look out through holes cut out of a large backdrop painted to loop like an apple tree.

Thank you to Vicki, Marisol, Amber and the rest of the YMCA High Park Junction staff! I learn so much and have so much fun everyday. I can't wait for more hugs, giggles and songs!

From Vivian Crowe (and Devin and Alex)

You guys are doing the greatest job in the world. It's more than appreciate.
.
God bless you all!

From Netsanet

Although Tristan has been at YMCA for only 8 weeks, it is evident how much he enjoys it! Taylor has been incredible helping out with his transition to a new before/after care program and new school! Thank you for all that you do to help Tristan and other kids grow, learn, play and flourish! Also want to thank you for listening to my needs as a parent, and knowing how you flow between these two set of skills is a true gift! Happy Child Care Educators Day!

From Ida (Tristan's mom)

We just wanted to say thank you to the staff at Centennial Hylands. They’ve made the process of sending our first to daycare so much better than we thought we were in for. They are so kind and wonderful and are truly superhumans! We are so grateful that we can feel comfortable and happy about who Beau spends every day with. We appreciate your effort and energy so much. Thank you!

From From Beau and family.

Thank you Asra . Please see my note in the photo attached.

From Keyvan Aggarwal

Thanks for all that you do on the daily
to support our children. The hours are early and long and you give so much every single day. Thanks for all your patience, kindness and skill, you are all remarkable educators!!

From Ellie’ dads

To the wonderful staff at Kennedy Road YMCA,
Thank you for the exceptional care you provide to all the children of our community. Your dedication, hard work and commitment are exemplary and reflective of the amazing staff you have. We are especially grateful for the support you have given our daughters over the last several years. It has been amazing to watch their growth and progress using the valuable tools they have learned from daycare. The YMCA provided them with the foundation they needed to excel.
We hope you know how much you are appreciated not just today, but every single day. We couldn’t do what we do without you!

From The Scriven family

We love the immense care , support and attention every educator has provided to our sons Dhruv and Darsh. The transition from home based daycare to the center was tough for them and us, and you all absolutely made it seamless for us, we love the care you show in helping the boys recover during the drop off and the overall effort in taking care of them. Even though it’s been a very short 2 weeks since we started at Brooklin St.Leo we have only seen great things and great love for all the kids. Thank you very much :)

From Dhruv, Darsh Family

These wonderful words from your warm wishes are sure to brighten the day of educators.

View messages from 2025 Child Care Worker and Early Childhood Educator Appreciation Day