A look at the Montreal General Hospital Daycare!
Across the province, we are celebrating the vital role of daycares and educators in childhood development and well-being. Let’s take a closer look at the core values that shape the Montreal General Hospital (MGH) Daycare, which opened its doors on April 1, 1989.
Located at the foot of the mountain, within the walls of the hospital, the daycare serves employees of the MUHC. It welcomes 60 little ones per year, aged 8 months to 5 years. The daycare is divided into four age groups with programs designed to meet each child’s developmental needs and milestones. Its main goal is to help young children become well-rounded, self-confident, and ready for ‘big school’ – what the educators endearingly call elementary school.
The MGH Daycare fosters a sense of community by bringing together employees from a variety of departments. Often, friendships form outside the daycare through the shared experience of having children enrolled in the same program. The daycare also supports families from abroad, including international residents and fellows who move to Montreal and often require childcare services.
“We love to hear about their home countries or what it’s like to brave their first Canadian winter,” shares Maria Cotsomitis, Director of the daycare. Having a workplace daycare helps these families adjust to a better work-life balance.
Educators play a vital role in building strong relationships with both children and their parents. The daycare team includes 12 dedicated educators and a cook, creating a warm, family-like environment.
Gorete Francisco, one of the original educators with 36 years of service, shares that the joy of watching a child grow and develop over the years is what makes this career so fulfilling. “While it can be challenging at times, it’s rewarding to support children, including those with special needs, reach their fullest potential during their time with us,” she says.
Each year, the daycare welcomes new families who are often nervous and apprehensive about leaving their little ones. Yet after a few months, those early fears become a distant memory as everyone becomes part of the daycare family. When the children graduate, it is always bittersweet for the educators—like saying goodbye to a member of the family. Sometimes, children come back to visit, and a few have even grown up to work at the daycare themselves.
“Some of the children we cared for are now old enough to register their own children here, seeing as they became MUHC employees themselves!” shares Maria.
