Carmen Doucette, a mother from Bowmanville, Ontario, struggled to find child care for her two daughters while working full time. This experience led her to create ‘Her Yes Club’, a platform connecting working parents with home-based child-care providers in their communities. The platform offers daycare, babysitters, nannies, and other local moms who can help with care needs such as school drop-offs or pickups. Doucette’s goal is to provide flexible care options for busy parents who may find it challenging to secure safe and reliable child care, especially with licensed centers.
The app focuses on at-home care and excludes licensed daycare centers. All service providers interested in offering their services through the platform must undergo a screening process to ensure safety and quality. Doucette recognized the difficulties parents face in finding home-based care options, as Statistics Canada reports that nearly 70% of the child-care market in Canada consists of home daycares. By creating ‘Her Yes Club’, Doucette aims to bridge the gap between parents in need of care and local providers who meet their specific needs, eliminating the need to join lengthy waitlists.
In many parts of the province, including Ottawa, parents are facing long waitlists for child care services. The demand for child care has increased significantly, especially after Ontario signed on to the national $10-a-day program, leading to licensed daycare spaces filling up quickly. With the rise in demand for at-home care, parents like Doucette are struggling to find reputable providers. Despite the challenges, Doucette believes that ‘Her Yes Club’ will make it easier for parents to connect with local child-care providers with the necessary credentials.
The app is designed to instantly match parents in need of care with providers based on distance preferences and specific needs. By setting distance parameters, parents can find suitable caregivers without having to join waitlists. The platform also aims to support providers by giving them exposure and helping them fill available spots in their daycare or babysitting services. Additionally, the app will help providers manage payments, contracts, and bookings more efficiently, making it convenient for both parents and caregivers.
‘Her Yes Club’ is scheduled to launch in July 2024, with a focus on supporting local families in Bowmanville. However, Doucette hopes to expand the platform throughout Durham Region and eventually help families across Canada, especially those in rural communities who may have limited access to licensed daycare centers. Interested parties can visit heryesclub.ca and join the email list for updates on the app’s launch. Doucette’s initiative aims to alleviate the stress and challenges parents face when looking for reliable and flexible child care solutions, ultimately benefiting both families and caregivers.
