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Golden Moments: A life dedicated to the children of Golden

Over the years Lorraine Daley has become one of the backbones of daycare for children in the area.
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Lorraine Daley and Emma Hawkins take a break from a busy afternoon at daycare.

Lorraine Daley came to Golden by way of Chester, Nova Scotia, and over the years has become one of the backbones of daycare for children in the area.

Daley moved to Calgary with her first husband and her family in the late 1970s. Shortly after moving to Calgary she became a single parent of three children and made the decision to go to Mount Royal College.

“I got my education in early childhood education after two years at the college,” she said.

After working in Calgary for a year things became too expensive for Daley to stay in the city.

She came to Golden with plans of working at a daycare that was in the works at a local church. That unfortunately fell through, and Daley ended up moving to Vernon, then Enderby, where she worked until a job opening once again came up in Golden.

“At that time they had a Rainbow Daycare running out of the Edelweiss school. That was the first official group daycare at the school,” she said. “I applied for the job,  got it and then moved to Golden.”

After working at the school for around nine years, the daycare was moved to the little red house (that used to be across from where the alternate school presently is).

After another move, and 10 more years of working for the daycare society, Daley made the decision to open her own daycare that has been running now for 16 years.

Currently Daley works with the Early Learning and Care Stakeholder Action Group who are working on getting a hub for daycare in Golden.

“We are trying to get a group daycare going in Golden,” she said.

Personally Daley said she feels this centre would be a great thing for Golden.

“I think it is wonderful because I have had to turn people away because I cannot accommodate them. I know some of them, as a result of not having any daycare, can’t go to work,” she said.

Daley explained why she continues to work in the daycare industry.

“I have children who came to my daycare when I was younger, who now have their children coming to my daycare. I love what I do and I do what I love. That is the secret. It is not enough to say I love children. You have to understand them,” she said.

She added, “The children bring so much joy to me. They will be playing and then they turn around to me and say ‘I love you.’ It is a real family. They help keep me young.”

Another reason why Daley keeps working and helping parents is because she has been through tough times in the past.

“I think I understand the parents’ situation because I was there one time and there was no one to put out a hand to help me. Now I know what it feels like, so I try and understand and help,” she said.

One myth she also wanted to dispel was that daycares in Golden are in competition with each other.

“There are a few daycares in town but we are not in competition with each other. No one puts another daycare down or tries to undercut the other people. If I am full I will send someone to another daycare which may have a space. Sometimes people may think we are in competition but I do not think we are,” she said.