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Educator Appreciation Day
YMCA OF GREATER TORONTO

"You Are Appreciated!"

Child Care Worker and Early Childhood Educator Appreciation Day, October 21, 2025

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.

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We are so very grateful to the wonderful teachers at Aurora St Jerome YMCA along with Julie for taking care of our little boy Radil.

Kaycee, Joyce and Somi from the toddler room who took care of Radil during his early days you guys were amazing and he still misses most of you!

Kim and Violin, we truly appreciate how you made the transition from toddler to preschool as smooth as you could with Radil, for your patience and for making us feel less worried with your kind words. Thank you truly. It means a lot.

From Ganeesha and Kasun (Radil)

Hello, Daisy, Akilda (and his entire Grade 1 care team at St. Peter Catholic Elementary School in Milton)

Aaron recently started Grade 1 at St. Peter Catholic Elementary School, and with that came a whole new environment—including new teachers and a new YMCA Before and After School Care team.

We just wanted to say how incredibly grateful we are for the warm, caring, and welcoming support you've provided. Despite all the changes, Aaron has been having so much fun with YMCA—more than ever before! He looks forward to each day with excitement, and we know that’s because of the kindness and dedication YMCA Child Care brings to their work.

A very special thanks to Daisy, Akilda, and the entire Grade 1 care team—your warmth and attentiveness have made a huge difference in Aaron’s experience. He feels safe, happy, and truly enjoys his time at YMCA, even more than he did at his previous school. Thank you for making this transition not only smooth, but joyful. Your positive energy and thoughtful care are deeply appreciated.

From Aaron Lee

Where to begin! We absolutely love everyone at the YMCA Seton location! Everyone is so lovely and welcoming and they are great with the kids and our daughter Emilia! More specifically, a huge shout out to Humaira, Fariell and Humaira K for everything that you do! Emilia loves you all so much and she’s grown a lot with your teachings and guidance! Chris and I enjoy every interaction and our conversations that we have with you! We can only hope our son Jacob will get the pleasure to be in your class too in the near future! Thank you for all your hard work and dedication to our little humans! We appreciate you so so much!

From Anna & Chris Joackim

Special Thanks to Fariba and Shahnooz to make my daughter’s day care time enjoyable 💕

Many Thanxxx from Yana

From Yana S.

Thank you so much for taking care of my kid in the after school program. You all are so supportive, caring and warm-hearted. A big Thank-you to you all!

From Raymond’s Family

Crestview YMCA

Thank you for all the care and support you all have given Aidan & I. Especially Gabriela Morillo- From Day 1 supported us while we waited patient an annoyingly (lol) on the waiting list.

Gabriela, Raph & all of the team have supported Aidan on his journey of Autism and school. Great team. It takes a village and i am so glad you are all on our team

He has learned how to make friends, play, eat more & talk more. Brings me joy when he comes home and tells me about his day.

From Aidan & Andrea

To the wonderful staff,

Thank you so much for all that you do!!! Your dedication, love, patience, kindness towards my children do not go unnoticed. My family truly appreciate all your hard work. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

With much love and respect,

From Vida (Joel & Elora’s Mom)

To all the incredible YMCA Child Care Educators — thank you for the love, patience, and dedication you bring every single day. You nurture not only young minds but also kind hearts, helping children learn, grow, and discover their full potential in a safe and caring environment.

Your creativity turns learning into adventure, your kindness builds confidence, and your consistency provides comfort and stability to families who rely on you. The positive impact you make reaches far beyond the classroom — it touches entire communities.

We see your hard work, your smiles through busy mornings, and your unwavering commitment to making every child feel valued and supported. You truly make a difference, and we are deeply grateful for everything you do. 💛

From Terelyn Tagaruma

Dear Vicky and Shervin from the Mazo YMCA,

Thank you for taking such good care of our daughter. You provide AMAZING programming, have excellent communication, and have a warm and welcoming atmosphere. We know that our daughter is safe and happy when she is with you. Thank you for all that you do, each and every day. You are appreciated!

Sincerely,

From Wes and Laura Onofrio

The daycare staff at YMCA Our Lady of Grace are wonderful and compassionate in their work. I am grateful and appreciate of their care for my child.

From Muhammad Kamal’s mom

Thank you to all the staff at the Good Shepherd Toddler room! And all the other staff we see everyday! I am so appreciative of the care you provide everyday for my son!

From The Yules

Thank you to all the staff at the R.H. Cornish school! I am so appreciative of the care you provide everyday for my son!

From The Yules

To whole staff! I really appreciate your kind work towards each and every child. Thank you so much for make my child social or active as she learn new things by participating in new activities .

From Ramandeep

We want to extend our deepest thanks to Vera, Fariba, Megan, Angie, and the entire team at St. Roberts YMCA for the incredible care and support you provide to our children every single day.

Your patience, dedication, and kindness do not go unnoticed. You create a space where our kids feel safe, supported, and inspired to grow. From teaching essential life skills to offering a comforting hug when it’s needed most, you make a lasting impact in ways words can hardly express.

Thank you for everything you do, not just for our children, but for our families and our community. We are truly grateful.

With heartfelt appreciation,

Kotobelli Family

From Kotobelli Family

I want to Thank you to all Child care Educators for the job well done.. I highly appreciate all your efforts and care to our children.

From Niel

We appreciate the care and dedication that all the YMCA teachers have shown for our kids.

From Leo and Abigail

Thank you for taking care of the children every day and keeping an eye on their well-being. You are an important part of our children's development and are much appreciated by us children and parents. Without their work, it would be difficult for many families to work and care for their children at the same time.

From Koritar Serrano Family

I appreciate all the educators at Brownridge YMCA childcare, each of them have been taking good care of my son, and they bring him lots of joy and educational opportunities to help him grow fast and happily.

Especially thanks to Victoria, Jaleh, Nasims, Jenny, Gina, Sam.

From Cho Kin’s family

Dear Kesha, Erika,SoYoung and Athina,

You four are the most caring, innovative, and creative team! My son, Evan, comes in every day so happy to see you, and my daughter never wants to leave (even though she’s in Grade 1!). There are always such thoughtful sensory experiences and engaging activities for the kids. I’m truly in awe. You work tirelessly every day to care for these little ones, and I will forever be grateful for all that you do!

From Jenny, Marc, June and Evan

Thank you for being responsible and taking care of Pramshu Panda. My sincere thanks for your kindness and support. I truly appreciate everything you’ve done.

From Pramshu Panda

Shelburne YMCA has always greeted our daughter with open arms and smiling faces. She loves all the staff and talks about them when she's at home. They go above and beyond to provide stimulating and educational activities.

From Nat and family

Dear Melissa, Catherine, and the wonderful team at Walter Scott YMCA,

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for everything you do every single day. 💖 Melissa, you have been with Rosha since SK, and your kindness, patience, and motherly care have meant the world to us. You truly treat every child as your own, and Rosha absolutely adores you!

Catherine, your energy, dedication, and excellent leadership make the YMCA such a warm and safe place for all children. We always feel confident knowing Rosha is in such loving and capable hands.

You light up our children’s days and give parents like us peace of mind while we’re at work. We are so grateful to have you in our lives and in Rosha’s journey.

With love and appreciation,

💐 Mojdeh, Saeid, and Rosha 💐

From 💐 Mojdeh, Saeid, and Rosha 💐

Dear Mrs. Alicia (St. Benedict School in Orangeville)

My son Mateo and I really appreciate everything you do. Your kindness, soft way of interacting with my son Mateo is really appreciated.

Thank you for making for everything, and keep on shinning

From Sandra Mejia - Mateo Mejia

To St.Kateri YMCA

We appreciate your kindness, patience and dedication towards our children. Your dedication are important to us all! Thank you all so much for everything you do.

A special thanks to my daughter Keren and Keziah's teachers! You are awesome 👏🏽👏🏽🥳

From Elizabeth

Thank you so much to the incredible George Webster YMCA team. We are so lucky to have our children feel so cared and treasured while they are in your care. We are so impressed with how hard everyone works to make sure it is a warm and special place for families.

From Andrea Ng

Watching our kids play happily while we can't be with them is everything we could wish for. We are so grateful tot the caregivers at St Brigid YMCA. Thank you to every single one of you!

From Leo and Ava's Family

A special shout-out to the caregivers of my daughters. They have been a huge blessing, i have seen my child’s growth over these couple of months and see that she loves her child care educators. Their jobs are not easy but they come through every single day. We appreciate you!

From - Calderon Family

Thank you for all you do every day to bring learning, fun, and care! You're the best!

From Dara and family

Thank you for taking extra special care of me & Thank you for listening to all of my jibber-jabbers.

From Alyssa Burling

Thank you Haydee, Steph and Achita for all you do - you are WONDERFUL and I don’t know what we would do without you!

From Mark, Cass & Olivia


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

Add your appreciation for your YMCA Child Care Educators!


The information below is for internal use only and will NOT be shared publicly.


View messages from 2024 Child Care Worker and Early Childhood Educator Appreciation Day