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Daycare owner retires after fulfilling 39-year career

Lorrain Daley has taken the plunge and retired after having her own daycare for more than 20 years
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Lorrain Daley has finally retired from her career in childcare after 39 years. Jessica Schwitek/Star Photo

After a 39 year career, 32 of which were spent in Golden, Lorraine Daley has decided to move on to new adventures.

Forty-one years ago, Daley made a bold move in her life, one that has paid off over and over. As a 34-year-old single mother of three, she decided to go back to school and get her diploma in Early Childhood Education.

“So that’s how it started,” said Daley. “It was really tough, doing that with three kids.”

Not only did Daley make it through the program, she excelled as well as became very involved with the campus activities. Following a few years in the industry in Calgary, she made the leap to the mountains as living expenses rose in the city.

“It turned out to be a really great decision,” she said. “Golden is not too different from the small town I grew up in, in Nova Scotia. I just traded the ocean for the mountains.”

Rainbow Daycare was her first professional home in Golden, and she put ten years into the facility. When she started there they had two employees, and she had the privilege of watching it grow to nine by the time she left.

But it was time for her to start her own, and Lorraine’s Family Daycare was born.

“I love what I do, and I do what I love,” said Daley, adding that it was a tough decision to retire. “I’m both happy and sad.”

It’s time for some new adventures for Daley, travelling and spending more time with her grandchildren. And she will remember her time in childcare fondly.

“It’s very strange the first time you have a parent bring their kids in, and you realize they themselves were in your care,” she said.

“I really did love my time with the kids.”