What Parents have to say....
Our family has been lucky enough to enjoy Kidz corner day home for 2 of our children! One has moved on to pre-school and will be starting kindergarten in the fall and our 1 yr old has began spending his days with Julie now too! Julie provides great care for the kids! Lots of activities like yoga, and even music classes! Parties for holidays and Halloween! Even cooler is her passion for nature and animals! Baby chickens, ducks and butterfly’s just to name a few! Our family couldn’t be more happy with the care this dayhome provides for all the children she has or has had in her care!
The Sorrell Family
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Julie has been our incredible Dayhome provider for almost 4 years now and having her as a care giver for our daughter has been a pure blessing. In her home she is safe, loved and cared for in an incredible capacity. The care and knowledge that Julie pours into everything she does just shines through. Not only are they given a caring space to go to everyday but Julie strongly focuses on their development and has creative amazing ideas to have kids engaged in learning and growing, as a teacher this was key for us and Julie will always exceed all expectations as a child care provider. I am amazed everyday at everything she does for our littles and I cannot say enough about her and her passion. We are very sad to be saying goodbye soon as my daughter transitions into kindergarten, but know any new family will love the opportunity to become apart of this dayhome.
The Betker Family
2016-2020
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We searched for months to find the right caregiver for our daughter. We live in Calgary and could not find a day home to meet our needs or that we felt comfortable to leave our daughter with. We expanded our search to Airdrie and that’s when we found Julie at Kidz Corner Day Home. Julie was very professional throughout the interview process and was able to answer all of our questions to put us at ease. We liked her so much we held the space for our daughter three months before she was due to start and have made the trek back and forth from Calgary for the past 3.5 years.
Our daughter has been attending Julie’s for 3.5 years and is now moving on to start Kindergarten in September. Julie played an integral role in helping our daughter to develop and to be ready for this next big step in her young life. Julie provides structure, routine, consistency in her caregiving and endless learning opportunities for the children that attend her day home. She follows a learning curriculum during the school year and the children get lots of play time in the summer. Julie values open, honest communication and always kept us informed via daily reports (via an App), newsletters and verbal updates as to how our daughter was doing throughout the day and of any exciting news and/or pictures. Julie was also very supportive and helpful as we navigated a difficult stage in relation to constipation with our daughter. She took the time to try to find helpful strategies for our daughter to make her comfortable while in her home as we worked with medical professionals and a naturopath to find a solution. Julie is invested and cares about the children in her home and takes pride in helping them reach their developmental milestones. Our daughter is going to miss Julie and the other children. She told us that she will miss story time and miss the times she was allowed to choose lunch the most J Julie made our little girl feel very special and designated her as Julie’s little helper on days when she was the oldest child in the day home. Our daughter loved being Julie’s little helper very much.
Julie went back to school to obtain her Montessori diploma over the past year and redesigned the day home to have a Montessori area. Our daughter was hesitant at first but with coaching and support from Julie she now loves this area of the home and it opened up new learning opportunities for her. Julie was great in helping us find a Kindergarten program to suit our daughters learning and social needs and provided us with information and resources on programs she thought would be a nice fit.
To say that we will miss Julie is an understatement! She is the only other adult in our daughter’s life that has played such an integral part in her development outside of us as her parents. We do not have family that live in Alberta and Julie has become a significant support person to us over the past 3.5 years. We will be forever grateful to her for the love and care she provided to our daughter while we both worked full time. She is professional and takes pride in her work. We were fortunate to have found Julie and have had such a wonderful experience. Any family seeking a loving, structured and child focused day home should look no further.
Vicki MacDonald
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Our son’s first day care experience was at Kidz Corner as he started there when he was 1-year-old. As new parents, we were nervous, hesitant and emotional! Julie was welcoming and so supportive. Our son adjusted quickly with the structure, activities, toys and fun outdoor time. Julie had exceptional communication and sent home daily reports of our son’s meals, snacks, activities and mood, which allowed us to feel as though we were a part of his day too. In additional to that, she would often send texts and photos throughout the day so we could see how much fun he was having! We felt as though our son was a part of a family at Kidz Corner. Recently, we moved out of province and sadly had to transition to a new day home. We would have loved to pack Julie in our suitcase!
Heather Arsenault
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I had a feeling right off the bat that Julie’s dayhome was different than other dayhomes. Various circumstances beyond our control bounced us around four different dayhomes before we were able to nab a spot in Julie’s dayhome for our daughter, and I have been grateful ever since that we did. I could tell as early as the interview that Julie is a dayhome professional. She runs her dayhome in an organized and consistent way. She’s also not doing it just to stay home until her own kids are in school - a huge plus for us as we were looking for stability. This is her career and she’s very good at it.
I knew that each time I dropped my daughter off at Julie’s house that my girl was well cared for. I never had to wonder what happened after I drove away. Julie always had activities organized for the kids, and had no trouble filling their days. I also appreciated the thoughtful meals and snacks that were provided. It was a comfort knowing she was getting nutritious food, and not just packaged convenience food. Julie included outdoor activities for the kids whenever the weather permitted, which I also appreciated. Outdoor play is so good for the kids and it’s not something I am always able to do for my daughter, so knowing that as long as the weather was decent Julie would have the kids burning energy outside was great. For inside play, there was no shortage of interesting crafts, science experiments, and other learning activities to keep the kids engaged. Many of those crafts have become family treasures that we will keep forever.
I also appreciated Julie’s communication. She did daily reports that gave me a good idea of the day, as well as monthly newsletters that gave me a sense of what Julie was planning to do in the upcoming month. She is easy to talk to, and is willing to work out the minor issues that pop up. I feel like I can’t say enough good things about Julie’s dayhome. There are a lot of dayhomes in Airdrie, but few excellent ones. I am so happy that we found one of the excellent ones. I will be hoping and praying that when the time comes for us to look for childcare again that we are able to go back to Julie’s dayhome. The past (nearly) two years with Julie have made me set the bar very high!
Jennifer Holmes
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My son has been attending Julie Onrait's Dayhome since May 2012. I met Julie a few months prior to that and I instantly knew she would be the perfect person to care for my child. My son was born premature and has a rare chromosone abnormality so it is extremely important that he have the right person look after him. Julie has been extremely understanding from day 1 and always reassures myself and my son that he will be able to do everything that the other kids do. It takes him longer to learn simple tasks such as walking and talking, but Julie takes the extra time with him. His progress is a sure sign of this. Julie is kind, patient, compassionate person who has helped my son develope into an amazing little boy. He is always excited to see Julie and loves going to her house.
Julie has helped me grow as a first time parent. She always provides experienced, honest answers to my questions about raising children and helps me deal with difficult situations (ex: sleepless nights, children throwing tantrums). I alwasy feel good about dropping my son off with Julie because I know she treats him as if he were her own child. I feel very blessed that Julie is helping raise my little boy.
Sincerely,
Linda Shierman
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My daughter was 11 months old when I started to look for a day home, because I had to go back to work soon. It was really hard to find one that would take her before she turned one. As a first time parent, I didn't trust very much but I knew I had no choice. I reviewed a lot of day homes in Airdrie on Facebook and their websites. I really looked at the testimonials and structure that the children would have. I wanted my baby to learn and not just be put in front of a tv or fed unhealthy foods. Julie's day home was the winner for me by far. She had such reasonable rates, guidelines, and structure to the kids day, and she has such professionalism to herself. She helped me and my husband so much with parenting tips/advice. In the end she made us feel very confident that we had made the right choice for our baby.
Our daughter has learned so much with the 8 months that Julie had her. My daughter has learned to be very kind, has great manners, very helpful, cleans up after herself, knows how to keep her hands to herself, and became a good eater. (We had trouble getting her to eat in the beginning, but with Julie's help we overcame that obstacle together). All that Julie had taught her, really shined when she was around other kids or any environment we brought her to, and it still shines!! My other big worry was that I wanted my baby to continue having her breast milk and with Julie's help she was able to do so.
The first day of dropping her off, and the following week was super hard for me as a parent and kind of for my baby. But I'm beyond glad Julie said "I like to rip things off like a bandaid". Because before I knew it my daughter was waving bye to me. My daughter loves and adores Julie, and so do we. If I could keep my daughter there til she couldn't go anymore I would but we had to move.
Julie is a PRO at what she does and I highly recommend her dayhome to anyone. Your kid's days are filled with fun and learning, with a great amount of love and care from Julie as if they were her own. Thank you Julie for welcoming my family into your home.
Savannah & Chris Levac
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Our son is 16 months old and has been with Julie at Kidz Corner Dayhome since August 2011.
As first time parents, the thought leaving our son with someone new for such long periods of time was a little stressful. We looked for many months for a dayhome that would meet our expectations. As soon as we met Julie, we knew that Kidz Corner Dayhome was the right choice for us. Julie’s experience, confidence, professionalism, and kind demeanor were exactly what we were looking for.
We appreciate the daily routine and consistency Julie provides. She offers a variety of activities that fosters our son’s growth and development. We especially love the daily outdoor playtime. We know that our son enjoys going to Julie’s as well. He gets excited when we pull up to Julie’s house in the morning and he is sometimes reluctant to leave at the end of the day.
Julie is able to provide a home-away-from-home environment for our son when we are not able to be with him. She provides structure and boundaries. We know that he is safe and being well cared for. Julie demonstrates genuine kindness, concern and care.
We also really appreciate the open communication we have with Julie. It helps us to feel like we are working together to raise our son. The daily report cards let us know how his day has been, how much he napped, and what he ate. We truly appreciate the open and honest communication we have established with Julie.
We are delighted with the high level of care and attention Julie provides at Kidz Corner Dayhome and would recommend it to anyone looking for a safe and caring dayhome for their child.
Thanks, Julie, for all that you do! We are so grateful!
Erin & Jonathan Klinger
Julie is a pro! Her daycare is clean, inviting, and fun. The kids get a good balance of activities, outside time, and playtime. Meals and snacks are nutritious and tasty. We like getting our daily write up to see if our son has been happy, sleeping, and eating well. Our son loves going there! We;re glad to have found Kidz Corner!
D & B Vance
Though it doesn't fully capture our gratitude and appreciation, we just wanted to say thank you for everything that you do for our little girl. It means the world to us that she is so happy, safe, and obviously cared for during the times that we don't get to be with her. Thank you for providing her with an enriching environment where she has been growing and developing so much everyday. Thank you for giving her structure, great healthy foods, naps that we're jealous of, and all the extras that you do. Thank you so so much for everything - all the things you do (big and little) mean so much to us!
My experience with Kidz Corner Day home over the past year has been amazing! My daughter is always excited to go in the mornings and never wants to leave at pick up time. Julie provides a wonderful, comfortable environment for the children to learn and play in. Its a tough thing to do when you have to go back to work and leave your child in someone else's care so when I met with Julie (after meeting with several other day homes) I instantly felt relaxed and assured that my daughter would be well cared for. She has learned so much being at Kidz Corner. The preschool type setup and routine has done wonders for her development. I have nothing but great things to say about Kidz Corner, I could go on and on about it. I would highly recommend Julie and her care to anyone who asked........ I can only hope that when I return back to work after my second that both my girls will be fortunate enough to find spots available with her again.
Thanks again Julie!
Jennifer McCullough
As a first time parent it was an extremely stressful time searching for a quality day home and a provider in which I could trust in placing my daughter in their care. Then I had the very fortunate opportunity of meeting Julie! I immediately felt at ease from the moment I stepped into her home. She was welcoming, warm and put my mind at ease quite quickly. The decision wasn’t hard, I knew I had found what I was looking for.
My daughter has been in Julie’s care since January/'10. She quickly settled into the home and developed a structured schedule to her day. Being just one, she is learning new things everyday and sometimes surprises me at home with new sounds or actions. At the end of every day, I am supplied with a day’s activity sheet to let me know everything a parent would want or need to know. From what her mood was all day, to what her activities were, how long her naps were, down to everything she ate! She is always supplied with a healthy lunch and snacks which I appreciate. She also has a lot of outdoor time which is great! It puts my mind at ease after a long day at work to know the love and care that she has received.
Julie has also given me a lot of helpful advice. I am a single parent and sometimes have hard decisions to make on my own. With the open communication that Julie and I have regarding my daughter, she always seems to be there when I need help and guidance.
I would recommend Kidz Corner Dayhome to anyone who is looking!
Sincerely,
Tracy Shenfield
My daughter will be 3 years old in May/'10 and had been with Julie since October 2009.
My family had just moved to Airdrie in August 2009 and we have no family or friends here to refer us to anyone for child care. I found Julie through the internet and was impressed by her quick and professional response to my questions and concerns.
My husband is a teacher and I work in the medical field. Our daughter had only been to one day home before this and she was very unhappy so I ended up taking her out. Julie immediately made her feel welcome and comfortable and now our daughter looks forward to going to the day home each day.
We find that Julie makes a conscience effort to teach our daughter at a level that she understands and makes it fun (i.e. doing a different letter of the alphabet every week). She is continuously looking up information on what a child and the other children in her care should be doing on a cognitive level and finds games that help them along with motor skills as well (i.e. putting jumbo foam beads on string during craft time).
We have also found that our daughter has become more independent since being with Julie (putting on her own shoes and jacket). Her encouragement of the children to do stuff for themselves helps to build the confidence that we as parents feel is necessary for a growing healthy child.
We believe that Julie’s style of running a day home (i.e. structure and scheduling) is what keeps our daughter happy and content. She knows what to expect each day and what is expected of her.
My daughter is not a good eater on any given day but I always know that Julie offers her nutritious meals and snacks. As well, she encourages a healthy intake of water and/or milk instead of sugary fluids.
As a parent, having the daily report card is a big help. I find that it keeps me in the loop as to what my daughter is finding interesting and fun to play with as well as how she in interacting with the other children at the day home and how well she has eaten during the day.
My husband and I are extremely pleased with how happy our daughter is in Julie’s day home. As with every parent, our child’s happiness and safety is what matters most. Due to this, I would recommend Julie to anyone looking for a daycare provider.
Sincerely,
Trish and Shaun Potvin
Our daughter will be 3 this April/'10 and she has been going to Julie's day home since October/'09. She looks forward to spending time there and she misses it when she is away which we feel speaks for itself. We are extremely pleased at how much our daughter has grown while being in this day home.
Julie runs her day home in a very professional manner which allows and encourages open communication between her and the parents she is working with. The contract signed at the beginning helps clarify expectations and answers many questions which would arise during care.
Our daughter loves the routine Julie has provided for the kids throughout the day. Being a Kindergarten teacher myself I know how important it is for children to have a routine that they can depend on. She comes home singing songs from their circle time and talks all about the activities they have done throughout the day. She also brings home a craft each day that fits with the theme they have been working on or with the letter of the week. It is wonderful to have these things sent home for our daughter to share with us which help spark conversation about her day.
One thing I really appreciate is getting a report card from Julie each day showing what the kids were doing, what they were eating and addressing any situations which may have occurred during that day. Julie's upfront and honest approach really helps us work together as a team to help our daughter grow in so many positive ways.
I also appreciate how much effort Julie puts into providing the kids with healthy nutrition. Our daughter has learned a lot about healthy eating while being at Julie's day home. Whole grains, fruits, veggies and dairy products are examples of foods being given to the children daily. She also tries to offer organic foods when available.
Julie also gets the children outside as much as possible, her backyard is filled with age level appropriate toys that the kids can play with. Julie goes out of her way to find these toys that help the children learn and grow. She also provides them with special events and activities to celebrate the holidays and birthdays.
I would recommend Julie's day home to anyone looking for a dependable, structured, fun and educational environment for their children!
Sincerely,
Elana and Steve Noordhof