Edmonton couple opens up 'Daddy Dayhome'
One Edmonton father has taken the common parent’s struggle to find childcare into his own hands.
Many parents have difficulty finding affordable childcare, and are eventually forced to leave their careers or juggle their jobs to ensure their children are taken care of properly.
Trevor Bosma was faced with such a choice – and made the unusual decision to not only stay home with his kids, but to look after other people’s children as well.
Bosma quit his job with the city of St. Albert this summer to open “Daddy Dayhome” in Edmonton’s west end. He currently takes care of his own two children along with one other, but will shortly be adding a fourth ward.
The career shift was dramatic for a former labourer.
“My [old] job was construction, so I would dig up fire hydrants, I would dig up the sewer lines to your house, the broken sewer lines outside your house, broken water lines if you had a water break at your house -- so I was the foreman for that.”
And now?
“I change diapers and play games and make crafts and go for walks and have fun.”
Special care required
Bosma’s wife, Jessica Bosma, said part of her husband’s motivation to stay home was to ensure their son Oliver, who has Type 1 diabetes, gets the extra care he needs – including weighing and measuring all of his meals.
The couple had tried to hire outside help but weren’t able to find anyone willing to take on the extra work of caring for a child with special needs. They even renovated their basement to provide living quarters for a live-in nanny. She quit after one day.
University of Alberta professor Lesley Wiart says this is a common problem. She says up to one-third of childcare providers will not accept children with special needs.
“I've heard so many families share similar experiences about not being able to access childcare," Wiart said. "Even when the accommodations are fairly minor."
Jessica Bosma, who works as a teacher, said she and her husband were frustrated trying to find someone willing to look after their son.
“I would tell them he has Type 1 diabetes, he requires a little bit of extra care and then I wouldn't hear back from them ever,” she said.
So the couple sat down and formed a plan. Trevor would stay home with the kids, and they would advertise for others using a website designed by his wife.
“I tell Trevor I'm his boss and he works for me now,” she jokes. “[But] I've been helping doing crafts and activity plans and meal planning and the grocery shopping.”
For now, the couple has modest ambitions for their dayhome, but say public response so far has been positive.
“Most people have been really supportive,” said Bosma. “Lots of people think it’s a really cool idea because there's not too many dads that do daddy daycare. It's kind of just straight out of the movie and that's about it.”
Bosma said he will likely return to his former line of work one day, but for now, is loving being home with his children and has no regrets.
