Name: Charmaine Tidmarsh
Job Title: Assistant Director, Child Development
Years Working at Mother’s Choice: 10

(1) What made you decide to continue your education?

In my ten years working at Mothers Choice, I found that the more experience I gained, the more questions I had about how and why young children develop as they do. I wanted to better understand the complex mechanism of a young child’s mind so that we can design programs that aid and accelerate their mental, emotional and physical well-being.

Earning a master’s degree in Early Childhood with emphasis on infant mental health has been a tremendous asset in ensuring we offer the best care possible to our children. My research on infant mental health and disruptive behavior has greatly expanded and contributed to my knowledge in how to ensure a child’s welfare in an out-of-home care setting. Infant mental health is an area of academic study that is often overlooked and underemphasized, despite it being incredibly valuable in setting the foundation for a child.

(2) How do you think your clients & staff benefited from your new knowledge?

To help each a child reach their full potential, my staff and I must be fully aware of how a child’s cognition works. An important effect of my research was finding evidence to dispel myths and clear up any confusion about the impact of a child’s upbringing on their temperament and behavioral tendencies.

By cultivating a more thorough insight into the intellectual inner workings of a child’s mind, we at Mother’s Choice can take effective action that is centered on the child’s needs. When a child exhibits disruptive behavior, our first thought is not “how do we fix this?”, but rather “what is the behavior telling me?”. Only by viewing children through this lens can we help them to reach their full potential. Our staff are now enabled to make more informed choices when caring for these vulnerable children and has likewise allowed us, as an organization, to better guide caregivers in supporting children in the care system.

(3) What do you love about working for Mother’s Choice?

Working for Mother’s Choice is something I’m very proud of for an array of reasons. I truly feel that we have a unique sense of community and heart that is reflected in all of the work that we do and the camaraderie that we have built between staff and clients.

At Mother’s Choice, we care very deeply about the vulnerable children, young mums and their families.  This is why we are not afraid to think outside of the box and go to great lengths to brainstorm numerous ways to help our clients as best as possible.  Our staff is very diverse, which influences our approach to our clientele by making us well-rounded, considerate and multi-faceted. We encourage open communication and creativity, and constantly share our minds and work to solutions together as a team.

As a charity, we wholeheartedly believe that the parent-child connection is the most powerful mental health intervention known to mankind; that is why we collectively strive for every child to belong in a family. This single, complete dedication to see every child in a forever home is really what I love about working here.

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.