 Lucie Blanchard (middle) and her husband,
Paul Blanchard (left), with Minister Responsible for the Status of Women Mary Schryer (right) at the daycare’s grand opening.
Operating a 24-hour daycare in Bathurst wasn’t on her mind when Lucie Blanchard first moved to the city 12 years ago.
“We owned a tanning salon in Beresford which we sold when we moved here,” says Blanchard who is the owner and operator of New Brunswick’s first 24-hour daycare, Club des Amis.
One afternoon while babysitting for a friend, she was approached by another mother who asked Blanchard if she was interested in babysitting her child.
“I said ‘sure’, and then I started to get more and more requests to babysit,” recalls Blanchard. “We used our living room in the beginning, and soon we ended up needing more space.”
Blanchard and her husband built an extension to their house to make extra room and later bought the house next to theirs and began a daycare.
“We finally got approved from the city and the Department of Social Development to operate and I’ve been working in the daycare sector ever since,” says Blanchard who opened her first daycare back in 1996 and now owns and runs seven daycares in the Bathurst area.
“I had a lot of people coming up to me and say ‘Lucie, I have to work till 7:30 pm’ or ‘I work a 12-hour shift’,” says Blanchard adding that not everyone has a friend or relative who can take care of their kids during these hours. “I saw a demand for more flexible child care hours which is why I decided to open a 24-hour daycare.”
The 24-hour daycare first opened its doors in October 2007 and is licensed for up 120 children. The building consists of two daycares, Club des amis 6 (ages 2-13) and Club des amis 7 (ages 0-4).
“I’m sure it’s a big plus for Bathurst,” says Blanchard who feels local families will benefit the most.
“It’s incredible the waiting list we have! They call and they’re not even pregnant,” exclaims Blanchard who receives at least one call everyday asking to be placed on the waiting list. “They say ‘Lucie, I’m trying but I want to make sure I have a spot before I have a kid’.”
The daycare was built with care and attention to detail with rounded corners and heated ceramic tiles making it a very child-friendly environment. The daycare employs 19 full-time child care staff and is equipped with a full kitchen, nine washrooms, library, gym, soccer field, a two-storey jungle gym, and a paved area outside for children to ride their bikes.
“We have a huge intercom system in the building that we use – you can play soft music when the children sleep and change it to livelier music when they’re awake,” says Blanchard. “It’s also been very helpful for staff communication.” |
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Blanchard usually starts her day at six in the morning and doesn’t get to bed till midnight. “It’s a lot of work and long hours, and you have to be prepared all the time,” says Blanchard. “This is not a business for anybody, there’s a lot of dedication.”
“For it (the business) to work you need good staff and the staff that I work with are incredible people,” says Blanchard.
“Sometimes it can be hard to find quality time with my family and it’s important for me to keep quality time with my own kids,” says Blanchard who balances both daycare work and mom duties.
For Blanchard, the rewards are plenty. “I’ve been told by parents that on the weekends their kids would ask them if they can go to the daycare,” says Blanchard. “So it’s a big deal for me that the parents are happy.”
This past May, the daycare graduated 85 four-year olds from pre-school.
“I never thought 15 years ago this would happen to me,” says Blanchard. “It’s a huge responsibility but I love it.”
To reach Club des Amis, contact (506) 547-0084 / (506) 547-0085, or drop in to their location on 980 Vanier Boulevard in Bathurst.
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