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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.

YMCA educators are caring and professional - I know my child is in good hands when I drop him off in the morning and he is always smiling when I pick him up. I appreciate everything you do to support his growth and I am so happy to part of the YMCA community!!
From Bianca - Mom of one
Thank you for taking such wonderful care of Lena every day. Your kindness, patience, and love make her feel safe, happy, and loved. We truly appreciate everything you do for her! ❤️
From Yasaman (Lena’s mom)
Thank you to all the wonderful ECEs and child care educators at the YMCA!! You are truly the most hardworking and dedicated people we know and we hope you know how important you are to these little ones and our families.
Thank you to ALL the wonderful staff at the Mississauga valley YMCA. Our 2 boys have been lucky enough to have crossed paths with so many amazing educators and we appreciate every smile, hug, care and bit of encouragement you have given them! You make it easy to leave our babies, knowing they are loved and well taken care of. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
From The Habibovic Family
Thank you to the Pam & the YMCA team at St Christopher. They do a great wonderful job and your hard work does not go unnoticed. We appreciate all you do!
From De Brum Family
To our amazing childcare team,
On Appreciation Day, we celebrate the kindness, patience, and hard work you pour into the kids. Thank you for creating such a safe, loving, and nurturing environment where they can learn, grow, and feel cared for every day.
Thank you for all you do 💕❤️🌹💐😍🎉
From Renukakayan
Thank you for taking care of me and giving me snacks!
From Renee
Sending our appreciation to all educators, but with an extra special thank you to the amazing team at West End Y!
Our daughter has since aged out of your care, but the impact you had on her is still so evident today.
We see it in her confidence, curiosity, kindness and love of play, all little reminders of where some of those important early lessons began.
It’s pretty incredible to realize that the care you give children stays with them long after they leave your classroom.
We are so grateful you were part of our daughter’s early years, and we miss you more than you know!
Thank you Phyllis, Tania, Mel, Mary, Qamar, Elsa, Tapasi and Maxine!
From Joe, Quinn, and Etta
Thank you to all the staff and educators at Mississauga Champlain Trail YMCA Child Care Centre! Everyone is so welcoming and lovely!
From Nyrah’s parents
To: All teachers and staff at Rouge Park YMCA Child Care Centre:
As parents, we sincerely thank you for your patient and careful care of the children every day. Thank you for building a safe, happy and loving environment for our kids.
We appreciate all your time and love. We feel so lucky our child gets to grow up here. Thank you for being such an important part of our child’s childhood!
From Kaysen's Mom
The entire team at Jean Hamlyn YMCA welcomes children each day with warm smiles and cheerful voices from the moment they walk through the door.
They have celebrated every milestone alongside our family—from our child’s first steps and first new words to riding a bicycle for the very first time. They have shared these special moments with us and rejoiced in each achievement as if it were their own.
Despite their busy days, they always make time to smile, show patience, offer encouragement, and help guide children toward their next stage of growth and development. Their kindness, dedication, and genuine care make a lasting difference.
Because of them, parents can go to work with confidence, knowing their children are in a safe, nurturing, and loving environment. Thank you for being our child’s second home and for everything you do every day.♥️
From From Daniel’s Family
To all the wonderful staff at Central Park Markham location,
Thank you for all your patience, care, and attention to detail in taking care of every little one at your centre! Your commitment to make every child happy during their time there really goes to show the dedication behind everything you do.
The way every teacher greets each child by name — regardless of which class they’re in — creates such a strong sense of belonging for them. The warm smiles, gentle encouragement, and the hugs every teacher offers really helps the children to feel welcomed.
Special shout out to Ms. Stella, Ms. Irshad, Ms. Jessica, Ms. Posa, and Ms. May for all your effort in in helping my little one adapt to the new environment!
Thank you for everything! Please stay amazing!
From Ng family
To the wonderful Early Childhood Educators at Bridlewood YMCA,
Words cannot fully express our gratitude for the love, care, patience, and dedication you have shown Zayne. ❤️ Thank you for creating a warm, safe, and nurturing environment where he feels loved, supported, and encouraged to grow.
Your kindness, understanding, and unwavering patience mean more to us than you know. Every little effort, every smile, every word of encouragement, and every moment of care makes a difference in his life and ours.
Thank you for embracing Zayne, celebrating his little milestones, and making him feel special. We are truly blessed to have such wonderful people playing an important role in his early years.
From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for loving and caring for our precious Zayne as you do. You are making a lasting difference, and we will always be grateful. ❤️
From Zayne's Family ❤️
To all the wonderful Pinnacle YMCA childcare staff,
I just want to take a moment to say how truly grateful I am for each and every one of you. ❤️
Because of the care, kindness, patience, and love you show our children every day, I’m able to go about my day with peace of mind, knowing that my children are safe, cared for, and surrounded by people who genuinely care about them.
There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t appreciate what you do. As parents, leaving our children in someone else’s care can be difficult, but you make it so much easier by giving us the reassurance that they are in good hands.
We may not always say it, and we may not express our appreciation often enough, but please know that we see you, we appreciate you, and we are so thankful for everything you do.
Thank you for being such an important part of our children’s lives and for giving us the peace of mind to focus on our own responsibilities while knowing our little ones are well cared for.
You are truly amazing, and you are appreciated more than you know. ❤️
With heartfelt gratitude,
From Haset and Tayton’s Parents
Thanks to all the amazing educators in the infant section for their dedication and love towards my baby girl Fiana. When I leave Fiana at the centre, her smile seeing her teachers speaks all! I am posting a picture of Fiana with Ms. Florence who represents all the amazing teachers at the centre. We are ever grateful for being cared, understood and supported. ❤️❤️
From Fiana and her family
To my hardworking team at Milton St Peter, you are truly a group of such hard working, patient, dedicated members of the team. I am so lucky and grateful to be working with a group of great individuals. I appreciate each and every one of you!
From Jerelie
To all the wonderful educators and staff at Mississauga Williamsport YMCA
I truly appreciate each and every one of you for your incredible patience,kindness,care and dedication.Thank you for all the hard work you put in every single day to keep our children happy, active, engaged and safe.
Your love support and positive energy make such a meaningful difference in our children’s lives.we are truly grateful for everything you do and for the care you show our little ones each day.
From Anu Ram & JJ sisters
Thank you for all that you do you guys are amazing!
From Dani
A heartfelt thank you to the amazing educators at Kennedy YMCA! Thank you for helping my child through her transition and for being so incredibly supportive, patient, and caring. Your encouragement has made such a positive difference in her development and confidence. We truly appreciate everything you do! 🌟
From Prajeesha and Family
To the ECE’s and Child Care Workers of St. Peter’s and Spencer in Orangeville- thank you so so much for taking care of my sons. Your hard work and dedication to these kids are unmatched.
From Tracey (Lucas and Nico’s Mom)
To our Brooklin St. Leo YMCA Family,
Happy Educator Appreciation Day! Thank you for all the love, patience, and care you give to Z each day. It means so much to us knowing that she is in such a fun, caring and supportive environment. We appreciate everything you do, and so so so grateful for each and every one of you! You are making such a positive difference in their lives. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
From Simran and Dylan 💟


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

Let's celebrate YMCA Child Care Educators!


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