Name: Wai Yan Cheung
Job Title: Assistant Manager, Child Care Home
Years Working at Mother’s Choice: 8
(1) Why did you first decide to become a child care worker?
I become a child care worker because I love working with children and in this role, we play an important role in changing their life stories. The relationship between a child care worker and the child is very special and feels more like a family. Our role is to look holistically at each child’s developmental needs and to address their whole being. It makes me so happy to watch the children at Mother’s Choice grow up to be happy and healthy.
(2) Why did you first decide to work for Mother’s Choice?
I changed my career path because I wanted to do something more meaningful and joined Mother’s Choice’s in 2012 because I believe in their mission and vision which we live out every day. I have seen how children, when they first come to Mother’s Choice, face so many disadvantages. Yet, with the individualized care and support that we provide them, I can actually see how our work has changed their life.
(3) What are the things you love best about working at Mother’s Choice?
Mother’s Choice is like a loving home. I feel appreciated and valued working here. Also, Mother’s Choice has great employee recognition programs, including Star of the Month, which highlights the contribution that individual employees of any level of seniority makes and celebrates their success across the whole organization. (Yan won Mother’s Choice Star of the Month in October 2016)
(4) Why would you recommend a child care assistant or a child care worker to work at Mother’s Choice?
The work of Mother’s Choice focuses on the best interest of the child. As a child care assistant or worker, our role is to encourage a child’s happiness, security, mental and emotional health. These are all important elements in a child’s development. As child care workers, we play a very influential role in the early years of a child’s life. You can really see the difference with the commitment from each child care worker.
Moreover, Mother’s Choice invests in developing our potential while also offering employee benefits such as health insurance, paid leave (e.g. birthday leave, sick leave) and comprehensive training programs. This is important because it reflects that Mother’s Choice cares for our overall well-being as well as professional development.
In addition, for our child care workers who work on shifts, Mother’s Choice strives to give staff a flexible work schedule to balance their needs. For example, when possible, the staff can apply for holiday leave of their own choice, which is not always the case with institutions who manage complex schedules. Mother’s Choice understands the needs of our child care workers and works hard to show how much they care about us.