High resolution (.PDF 5.6 MB) - St. Stephen's Community House
High resolution (.PDF 5.6 MB) - St. Stephen's Community House
High resolution (.PDF 5.6 MB) - St. Stephen's Community House
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
Noemia Bettencourt is part of<br />
a four-generation childcare family<br />
While Noemia has been working at<br />
the <strong>House</strong> since 1975, her motherin-law,<br />
three daughters and now<br />
her grandsons have also all been a part of<br />
life at <strong>St</strong>. <strong>St</strong>ephen’s. Four generations of the<br />
one family!<br />
Over her 37 years with us, Noemia has<br />
been a vital part of the SSCH Child Care<br />
Program. She started as a much loved<br />
teaching assistant, and then, after 18 years,<br />
Noemia moved to the kitchen, where she<br />
has now spent another 19 years as chef.<br />
“<strong>St</strong>. <strong>St</strong>ephen’s is like my home! That’s why<br />
I never left. I still get up in the morning,<br />
happy to be coming here.”<br />
Each day Noemia and her staff cook<br />
for 85 children, many from lower income<br />
families. “For some kids,” she says, “This is<br />
the one big nutritious meal they get in a day.<br />
now 2012<br />
<strong>St</strong>. <strong>St</strong>ephen’s four provincially licensed<br />
childcare centres meet the social, emotional,<br />
cognitive and physical needs of 205 children<br />
aged 3 months to 12 years . SSCH is dedicated to<br />
full integration of children with special needs .<br />
That’s part of what makes <strong>St</strong>. <strong>St</strong>ephen’s so<br />
important and so special. It really makes a<br />
difference to kids’ lives.”<br />
“We make everything from scratch here;<br />
the food is always fresh and nourishing and<br />
we buy everything we can from Kensington<br />
Market. We’ve built up a bond with the<br />
sellers in the local area.” While her job has<br />
changed over the years, with more food allergies<br />
and special diets to cater to, you can<br />
feel – and taste – the pride Noemia still takes<br />
in her work and the satisfaction she gets<br />
from her life at <strong>St</strong>. <strong>St</strong>ephen’s. “What makes<br />
my day, every day, is the children. To hear<br />
them tell me how they enjoyed their food,<br />
how they love the smell of something, it’s<br />
the best thing! To see happy kids and happy<br />
parents makes me happy!”<br />
social<br />
indicator<br />
In 2007, there<br />
were 837,923<br />
regulated child<br />
care spaces<br />
in Canada . In<br />
Toronto, there<br />
is currently<br />
funding for only<br />
24,000 childcare<br />
subsidies, while<br />
another 21,000<br />
children are on a<br />
waiting list .<br />
st . stephen’s community house 1962–2012 | PAGE 17
Change language