• cart
Play video
Educator Appreciation Day
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.

A BIG shoutout to the team at St Kateri! Both my babies have attended their centre, and I am always so appreciative of the loving and fun environment they create for all of the children in their care. You are all rockstars and deserve to be celebrated every day of the year.
From Jennifer, Nick, Rowan and Rhett
My daughter just started JK but she still loves to see her educators from YMCA Kennedy Circle/St.Veronica as her brother still attends! Thank you all so much for helping my introverted children feel safe, comfortable and happy!
From Carlos Family :)
Two adults, two children outdoors with a lake behind them.
Happy Educator Appreciation Day to our wonderful YMCA educators! ❤️
I just wanted to take a moment to say a very big THANK YOU to all the educators especially Bhavna, Monica, Vivian, Carlin, Rizvana and Reina for all the love, care, patience, and encouragement you give to our little David every day.
When our baby first started daycare as an infant, it was not easy for him in the beginning. Like any little baby, he cried and needed some time to adjust. But with the love and care he received, especially from Bhavna, Monica, and Vivian, his transition became so much smoother than I could have hoped for. Bhavna was especially encouraging and reassuring, and that meant so much to me as a mom.
One thing I really appreciate about all of you is that you don’t just care for him—you genuinely notice him. Even without me asking, you would tell me about his day: whether he played, whether he cried, what his mood was like, how he ate, and all those little details that a parent wants to know. Those small conversations gave me so much peace and made me feel that he was truly being cared for and not just “looked after.”
Even after moving to the toddler room recently, he has been so happy. He may have a little cry in the morning sometimes, but whenever I come to pick him up, he is usually so happy and excited. And one of the sweetest things is that when I say Bhavna, Monica, Vivian, Carlin or Rizvana he smiles and even tries to say your names. 🥹❤️ That tells me so much about how comfortable and loved he feels with you.
And I have to mention his eating! 😂 He is such a good eater, and you have always been so patient and happy to feed him. You never make me feel like he is a burden because he wants to eat more. I really appreciate that kindness.
I also want to especially mention Reina. Every time I see her with the children, she is smiling, happy, warm, and so welcoming. There is something really comforting about seeing an educator who seems genuinely happy to be around the children. Whenever I have had a concern or simply wanted someone to understand me personally as a mom, I have always felt comfortable going to Bhavna or Reina. They have both made me feel heard, understood, and supported, and I am truly grateful for that.
I also want to say something about all the other educators and staff at the centre. Even though I don’t know everyone’s names, every person I have met has been so friendly, warm, and comforting. What touches me is that so many of them know my son’s name and genuinely ask about him when they see us. Those little moments really stand out to me as a parent. It shows how much care and attention the children receive from the whole team, not just from the educators in their own room.
From everything I have seen, the entire staff at the facility is doing such an amazing and meaningful job caring for the children. You are not only providing childcare—you are creating a place where children can feel safe, loved, comfortable, and happy while they are away from their families. That is such an important service, and I truly appreciate the work every member of the team does each day.
As a mom, leaving your child in someone else’s care is never easy. But you have made that experience so much easier for me. Thank you for all the little things you do every day—the feeding, comforting, encouraging, playing, observing, communicating, and simply being there for him with happy hearts.
Thank you for loving and caring for our little one so well. We are truly grateful for each one of you, and we feel blessed that he has had such wonderful educators during these important early years.
May God bless each of you abundantly for the love and kindness you pour into the children every single day. ❤️🙏
Happy Child Care Worker and Early Childhood Educator Appreciation Day!
You are appreciated more than you know! 💕
From Renjini (David’s Mom)
YMCA Fleming has such an amazing group of educators. From the jump, they cared for my daughter and taught her a lot. My daughter has since grown so much - in speech, motor skills and the like. I am so thankful to Frances for helping me get Chanelle in as quickly as she did and to her team for always supporting her. I could not have asked for a better group. You have all been absolutely amazing and I could not gloat about you anymore than I already do! Everyone who asks me, "how does Chanelle like daycare?" my simple answer is she loves it. Please keep doing what you are doing - I am so grateful for you all, truly.
From Christina, Jerome, Chanelle & Kaliyah
To all the amazing staff at High Park YMCA, thank you for making my daughter feel supported, safe, cared for and loved. You all feel like our second family and we are so thankful for you.
To Marisol, Vickie and Amber, thank you all for caring so much for our little girl. She loves all of you and feels safe and secure in your care; you are wonderful people and great educators and we appreciate all that you.
From Tara and Zach
Behind every happy child is someone who listened, encouraged, comforted, cheered them on, and made them feel like they belonged.
Thank you Erica and Regan for being that person, again and again. The love and care you pour into your work leaves an imprint that reaches far beyond the classroom.
On Educator Appreciation Day, we hope you know just how important you are and how deeply appreciated you are. Thank you for all that you do and, most importantly, for the heart you bring to it. 💗
From Jennifer & Dennis
All the staff at YMCA Kennedy rd north are amazing. It really takes a special type of person to be an educator for such young minds. They all do it so graciously.
Thank you, all of you.
From Jen and C
A heartfelt thank you to all the amazing educators at Lynngate YMCA in Scarborough! ❤️
We would especially like to thank Fang and Susan for their kindness, patience, and dedication in caring for Jayden. We are so grateful for all the love, support, and attention you give him every day. A big thank you as well to Nisha and all the supply educators and other staff who help make his days happy, fun, and full of learning.
It means so much to us as parents to know that Jayden is in such caring and supportive hands. Thank you for everything you do and for being such an important part of his early childhood. We truly appreciate each and every one of you! ❤️
From From Jayden's Family
Thank you for your hard work and dedication to making after-school programs fun!
From Cosette and Cody's mom-Cindy
Two young children play happily in a sandbox
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU - for giving now both our children the best care possible! The staff at the Scarborough YMCA childcare have always treated us like family and it is such a peace of mind knowing our kids are in such great hands. Logan and Blake love you all! Happy ECE Appreciation Day!
From The Balsdon Family - Logan & Blake
Thank you to all the wonderful educators of YMCA Williamsport Mississauga!
We were a little anxious about our child’s recent transition from infant to toddler program but the educators of both programs made sure it was a smooth and positive experience not just for our child but for us as parents as well.
The care and patience that you show our daughter every single day give our family a great peace of mind knowing that our child is in such a supportive and nurturing environment.
Thank you for all that you do!
From Arriz and Jonna
We’re so happy to be a part of the YMCA Father Fenelon community! We truly feel the love and support from everyone there - as soon as we walk in the door every day we are greeted with smiles and friendly faces. Special shoutout to Sujeeva, Tamara, Fahima and Farsana! Thank you for everything you do, y’all are truly superheroes 🫶🏼 we couldn’t do it without you!
From Kian’s Family
To Matei’s wonderful educators,
Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for taking such good care of our little Matei. We are so grateful for your patience, kindness, and all the love you give him every day. Knowing that he is surrounded by caring people while he learns, grows, and discovers the world means so much to us as parents.
Thank you for everything you do, not only for Matei, but for all the little ones in your care. Your work truly makes a difference, and we appreciate you more than you know. ❤️
From Matei and the Family
I like to say thank you to all ymca worker, with out you I am not able to work with peace of mind, even after school care , I am not drive crazy because of you guys ❤️🙏thank you
From Sangeeta singh
The educators at the Oscar Peterson YMCA are amazing! My son was in the toddler room and now is in the preschool room. All of the staff are fantastic. I am so grateful for everything they do for the kids. Thank you thank you !
From Christine Lee
A young child in a blue graduation cap holds a certificate while sitting on the knee of a smiling adult with dark hair and glasses
A young child in a blue graduation cap is flanked by two kneeling adults. Silver balloons spelling out the word GRAD are behind them
A young child in a blue graduation cap holds a certificate and stands in front of a banner that reads Congrats Grad Well Done
To the wonderful educators and team at Dr. Ross Tilley YMCA Child Care,
As we look back on the past two years, we just want to say thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
Kemi, Lauren, Ruby Morgan, and Bethany — thank you for the love, patience, kindness, and care you have shown Dhruvik. Each of you has played a special part in his journey, and we truly appreciate the way you have taken the time to understand him, support him, and celebrate his little achievements.
Amanda — a very special thank you to you. Your support, kindness, understanding, and guidance have meant so much to us as a family. You have always made us feel heard and supported, and we truly appreciate the way you have taken the time to understand our child and our family.
And honestly, he absolutely loves you and can’t stop talking about you! Hearing him talk about you at home brings such a big smile to our faces. It says so much about the special connection and trust he has built with you.
As parents, knowing that our child is surrounded by people who genuinely care about him gives us so much comfort. The past two years at Dr. Ross Tilley have been such an important part of Dhruvik’s early years, and each of you has been a meaningful part of that journey.
Thank you for being part of Dhruvik’s village. We appreciate each and every one of you more than you know. ❤️
From Arora Family (Kriti & Kanishk)
To all the wonderful educators and the team at Dr. Ross Tilley YMCA Child Care,
We just wanted to take a moment to say how truly grateful we are for everything you do for our son.
For the past two years, you have been such an important part of his little world. Thank you for your patience, kindness, understanding, and for always making him feel welcomed and cared for.
Kemi, Lauren, Ruby, Morgan, and Bethany — thank you for the love, patience, kindness, and care you have shown. Each of you has played a special part in his journey. We especially appreciate the way you have taken the time to understand him, support his individual needs, celebrate his little achievements, and give him the space and encouragement to grow at his own pace.
Amanda — a very special thank you to you. Your support, kindness, understanding, and guidance have meant so much to us as a family. You have always made us feel heard and supported, and we truly appreciate the way you have taken the time to understand our child and our family.
And honestly, he absolutely loves you and can’t stop talking about you! Hearing him talk about you at home brings such a big smile to our faces. It says so much about the special connection and trust he has built with you.
As parents, knowing that our child is surrounded by people who genuinely care means more than we can put into words.
Thank you for being such an important part of our village. We appreciate each and every one of you more than you know. ❤️
From the Arora Family (Dhruvik, Kriti & Kanishk)
Having had multiple experiences with various childcare programs, on both sides, the YMCA is truly a gift. The care and structure is unparalleled in the field and I wish there were more locations to allow more children to have the experience. ECE professionals are some of the hardest working individuals in the world. It is non-stop and expectations are high. YMCA staff truly surpass the bar and go above and beyond in all that they do. My son looks forward to his day and the peace of mind is truly indescribable. We are infinitely grateful and will never forget the depth of impact and love we've received here. Thank You!
From Trudy and Maxwell
Happy Educator Appreciation Day to the incredible team at Middlebury YMCA!Thank you to Earlyn, Alecia, and all the dedicated educators and staff who create such a warm, welcoming, and nurturing environment for our children.A special thank you to Andrea for your thoughtful supervision.Thank you for being such an important part of our children's lives!
From Matthew's Family
We love our Shirley St YMCA caregivers!
You have done an excellent job at nurturing and educating Nora through so many stages of life, from toddler room to preschool and now in before and after care, and we can’t thank you all enough ❤️
From Courtney, Filip & Nora Janjos
To all the amazing care givers, ❤️
Thank you for caring for our little one with so much love, patience, and kindness. Knowing they are safe, happy, and cared for while we’re away means the world to us.
We truly appreciate everything you do each and every day. You are such a special part of our children’s lives. Thank you for all that you do! 🌷💕
From Shabirra and family
A heartfelt thank you to Anjana Santhosh Nair from YMCA Champlain Trail for taking care of all the children with so much love, patience, and kindness. ❤️
Even though you are so young, the care you give to each child truly shows how big your heart is. You treat them with the same warmth and affection as if they were your own, and your love for what you do shines through every day.
Thank you, Anjana, for all the little things you do, for the smiles you bring, and for making the children feel loved, safe, and cared for. Your kindness means more than you know. 🥰🌷
From @
I feel so fortunate to have secured a spot in the infant room at our top-choice daycare - a huge thank you to Genevieve for making that happen!
A giant shout-out to the entire infant room team: Sue, Ann Marie, Chen and Laura. Sue, you’ve truly been a second mom at school, and I couldn't have asked for a more caring person to look after my daughter. We know firsthand how demanding this job can be - if taking care of little ones gets overwhelming for us on the weekends, we can only imagine what you do every day. THANK YOU!
Special thanks as well to the incredible educators in the toddler room - Marisol, Linh and Amina. Every evening, my daughter pretends to call you guys and has whole conversations on her toy phone. She loves you all so much!
To top it off, when my younger son visited for the first time today, he looked at Sue as if he already knew her and lit up with the biggest smile when she called him cute.
We are truly blessed to have such amazing, hard-working educators at Mississauga Valley YMCA Child Care. Thank you for everything!
From Mayank Jain
Dear educators at Play on Bellwood, thank you for being the highlight to Kaden’s days. He loves attending program and wished it was every single day. You’ve taken our after school care worries away and we are so grateful to you all
From Jenn Arkison


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