TESTIMONIALS
I'm writing this letter as a reference for Sharda Kaura who has been our family's daycare provider for the past 4 years. We have a son, Hank, who was with Sharda from 10 months until he started school at age 4 and a daughter, Crosby, who was with Sharda from 1 year old until 3.5 years of age. Sharda could not have provided better care for our kids during their time with her. She has an amazing, calming way with all the kids in her care and we've witnessed how her work directly impacts our kids. They have learned excellent manners, eating habits, listening skills, toilet training and how to play well together all of which are attributable to how Sharda interacts and cares for them. During our 4 years with Sharda, she has only ever taken 1 sick day. We've heard nightmare stories from other parents who regularly either have to stay home from work or scramble for some other care when their care provider is sick. We were also able to call Sharda when we weren't able to find other care for our son (March Break, PD Days, Christmas, summer camps, etc.) and she was always so accommodating. When needed, we've been early to drop them off and late to pick them up and she never once complained. You can always, always count on her. Sharda's family is also a big part of the care she provides. Her 3 boys and Balram (husband) are so amazing with the kids. We often found one or all of them lying on the floor playing/laughing with the kids when we'd come to pick them up. Our kids got tons of hugs, kisses and high fives and we saw they were loved by the whole Kaura family. When our family moved into a new home, we had some issues with appliances being delivered. Sharda went out of her way to make our family a delicious, authentic Indian meal to make sure we were all taken care of. We'll never forget that. If you have the chance to have her look after your child/children…take it! You will not be disappointed with how well cared for and loved they will be. We're very much going to miss Sharda and her family as she has been such a big part of ours and we love her very much!
Ian, Kate, Hank & Crosby McKinnon
It is with great pleasure that I recommend Sharda Kaura as a caregiver. I have known Sharda since October 2009, when my daughter then 12 months old started in her care. Sharda has always displayed a high degree of integrity, responsibility and dependability. As an experienced mother of three children, she is definitely a knowledgeable care provider whom has provided a warm and nurturing environment for our daughter. In addition to always making the needs of the children her number one priority, she speaks to the children directly and at their level of understanding; very respectful of their individuality. She is able to provide a safe, structured play setting in her home and offers very nutritious lunches and snacks. The children love her cooking! Sharda is also very good at making sure the children get the opportunity to play outdoors each day as she encourages walks and using the play structures in her yard. Sharda has the children on a set routine which enables them to have rest time. She is very accommodating as well when the kids are having 'off days' and may require an extra sleep. Story time and crafts are also regular activities for the children. Sharda has proven ability in teaching the younger kids their numbers and letters as well as good manners, which is much appreciated as a parent. I must also speak to Sharda's family, which is incredibly supportive of her role as care giver. The children are very fond of her husband and sons, who playfully interact with the children making her home a very warm and friendly atmosphere. Sharda cares very deeply about the children in her care and takes her role as caregiver very seriously. She has been incredibly trustworthy; exercises good judgment; is very conscientious; communicates with the parents very well; and has been exceptionally accommodating to us as parents. It should be noted that Sharda did not take any sick days in the two years our daughter was in her care. Sharda has become like family to us and we will miss her dearly. As such, I am happy to give her my wholehearted endorsement as an excellent child care provider.
Chantelle Garritty-Semiga
Sharda was always very kind and gentle to our son, and helped him to transition well into his new homecare environment. He was so comfortable being in her care, he was able to stay for an entire day after only two short visits. Sharda's husband and older sons are also very kind and gentle speaking and playing with the children in her care. Sharda has a well organized daycare space that we feel is safe, clean and stimulating for small children. Our son was very happy in her care, napped well, ate lots of nutritious foods and socialized well with the other children. We know our son will miss her very much.
Laurie Hayley
We met Sharda in December 2009 when my daughter was one year old. From that first meeting, I knew that this was where I wanted my daughter to be. Sharda and her family were very warm, very family oriented and we felt like she did childcare because she liked children and not because of the salary. My daughter, Janae Lewis, started with Sharda January 2010 and she was there until July 2012. Janae was moved only because we moved from Kanata and she was going to start school in the new area. Sharda is unlike any other daycare provider I have ever met; over the 2 ½ years she took very little personal time, only one sick day, and she did not always take vacation. She was always concern as to how she would affect the children and the parents. In addition, on a couple of occasions I had to drop Janae off earlier, or pick her up a little later, and she was always accommodating. Sharda is unfailingly cheerful and has a positive outlook on life. Sharda was able to talk to Janae calmly and get her to do things at her house that she would not do at mine. For example, at my house Janae sucks her finger; whilst, at Sharda's she does not. My husband and I strongly recommend Sharda as your home care provider. When Janae was at Sharda’s I knew that she was in good hands. Janae loves Sharda, her husband and her sons.
Nadine & Andrew Lewis
It is my pleasure to recommend Sharda Kaura as a reliable and caring childcare provider. As first-time parents entrusting our little one to another's care, we were very anxious but Sharda aided this transition impressively and was very understanding of our concerns. Our daughter immediately took to Sharda's nurturing demeanor and at Sharda's suggestion, we introduced her to her new daytime environment slowly over a period of several weeks, which worked out very well. We were impressed by the healthy meals and snacks that Sharda provides the children. Our daughter always came home boasting about the fresh fruit, homemade yogurt and vegetables that were offered to her. She was also always well rested, as each child has their own sleeping space and consistent routine. Sharda's hours are very generous and we never felt pressured or time-crunched. We never had to miss work or find ourselves scrambling for alternative last minute care due to illness or appointments etc... Sharda is extremely reliable. We also found that our child was rarely ill with cold or flu, as Sharda takes great care to ensure the environment is clean for the children and she teaches them to wash their hands regularly. We also noticed that our daughter's use of manners, "please and thank-you's" became more consistent with Sharda's encouragement! We always felt that our child was in a safe place under Sharda's watchful eyes. She has a lot of experience through parenting her own children and in running her own childcare for many years. She understands children of all ability levels and is inclusive and loving towards all the children in her care. Morning drop-off's were stress-free because our daughter felt as though she was going to spend the day with family. We were pleasantly surprised when Sharda went above and beyond to provide each child in her care with gifts for special occasions, such as Christmas. The gifts were specially tailored to the child's unique interests that Sharda observed during playtime. It speaks to the individual attention that each child receives from Sharda and how she is able to incorporate one on one time with the children throughout the day, right up until home-time, when she gives each one a big hug goodbye before leaving. We really appreciated a smaller, more individualized environment for our young daughter and it was exciting to watch her flourish in her independence while in Sharda's care. Thus, I am confident in my recommendation for any parent looking for a calm alternative to large centre daycares. In our opinion, it is always a good thing when your child asks to go to childcare on a Saturday!
Stephanie Thurston
I have had the pleasure of relying on Sharda Kaura to care for my three children over the last 4 years. After interviewing Sharda in 2015 for the position of a daycare provider for our 2 year-old son, I knew immediately that she would be the right fit to care for our son. In this first year of using Sharda, I could tell that my son was extremely comfortable in her home and therefore, I was able to go to work feeling confident that my child was in good hands. When I was pregnant with my second and third child, there was no hesitation and we decided to use Sharda for full time daycare as well as after school care for my son when he became school aged. Sharda has successfully potty trained both of my children and has provided them with the right tools to become independent, polite, and effective communicators. The food that she provides is always nutritious and her home is kept in good order. Sharda is very diligent at ensuring that the kids in her care are kept clean, warm, and healthy. She has rarely taken days off due to sickness and she is able to handle minor illnesses without constantly calling to require early pick up. When weather permits, Sharda does not hesitate to take the kids outside to play and often does lovely crafts with the children. My kids have come home every holiday with crafts that they are proud of. Sharda also makes the effort to celebrate each kids' birthday. If ever there was an issue or something did not work for us, Sharda would be flexible and accommodating. Sharda is very approachable and is open to hearing feedback from parents. Her sons and husband are also very friendly and make the daycare seem like a home away from home. Sharda is extremely direct, honest, hard-working and caring and has become a second mother to my children. I have recommended Sharda to other parents in the past and will continue to do so as long as she is working as a daycare provider.
Jordana Walters
My daughter began attending Sharda's home daycare when she was 21 months old in September 2010 and finished in July 2011 when she was just over 2.5 years old. She attended 3 days/week and felt very content and comfortable with Sharda and her family. Perhaps because I took an extended parental leave, it was a big adjustment for our daughter to begin attending a home day care when I returned to work. Nonetheless, Sharda's nurturing and patient ways made the transition much smoother than anticipated. Sharda truly makes the children in her care a #1 priority. She is an active listener and always appears attuned to the children's sensitivities and unique personalities. From my perspective, she treated the children with the same respect and attention that she would pay to her own children. In the time that our daughter was with Sharda, she began toilet training and transitioned to not requiring her favourite blanket during nap time. We viewed this as supportive to our daughter's sense of independence and development. We also appreciated how Sharda maintained the cueing that our daughter received at home about practicing manners and appropriate interactive skills. Sharda has been an exceptionally reliable child caregiver as she did not once take a sick day during the time we were with her. More importantly, she never appeared to be sick! I think this kind of resilience is a major bonus when it comes to securing a dependable child care provider. On a few occasions, my husband or I found ourselves in the unfortunate position of arriving later then our expected 5:00 pm/ 5:30 pm pick up. Sharda always exercised the utmost grace with us, and never made us feel badly about an unforeseen delay. For me, this example highlights how she treats her clientele with the same respect that she offers her own family. On that note, Sharda's husband and sons are each very lovely people in their own right. They all demonstrated a welcoming attitude towards us and especially, our daughter. I highly recommend Sharda as a home daycare provider. Our daughter would still be with Sharda today if we had not received a call from a daycare program through the City of Ottawa. We had put our daughter's name on the wait list prior to meeting Sharda. The only reason why we ultimately decided to transition our daughter is because she is an only child and we wished to have her exposed to a larger group of children (especially since she will begin school before her 4th birthday). When considering all of Sharda's special qualities, it was an extremely difficult decision for us.
Wendy Appleby
It is with great pleasure that I recommend Sharda Kaura's in-home child care center. My husband and I split time off work with our son for the first year but began looking for a child care provider approximately 6 months before we knew we would have to return to work. We met with multiple in-home child care providers who were listed on Daycare Bear, however Sharda's home and child care approach appealed to our family values the most. At the time, Sharda offered us previous reference letters which detailed the wonderful care she provided, as well as extra effort she often spent to help out entire families in times of need. We wanted an in-home child care provider because we felt that it was important for our son to be able to rely on consistent care from a single person, as opposed to multiple staff at a child care center. Sharda has really exceeded our expectations in this regard, and we know that our son truly considers Sharda an extension of our family. Sharda manages to be patient and kind while still maintaining discipline with the children in her care (often to my amazement!). Our son would consistently come home with creative arts and crafts that they made or pictures that they drew, and he would look forward to telling Sharda about our family outings on weekends. A couple months after our son began attending Sharda's in-home child care my husband joined the Canadian Armed Forces. This new career meant that my husband would be away from home Monday to Friday and as I continued to work a full time job there were numerous occasions where our family was strained. Sharda was always more than accommodating to our changing needs through the entire process. Knowing that our son looks forward to daycare, and has been in a safe and happy environment each day through the changes with our family routine has provided great peace of mind. It is my husband's career that has caused us to move away from Ottawa which is the only reason we would be leaving Sharda's care after only 2 years.
Samantha Langford
It is my pleasure to provide a reference letter for Sharda Kaura. She is absolutely wonderful. She has a beautiful home with a lot of room to play and learn. She has an incredibly kind demeanor and loves and cares for your children from the moment she meets them. Our daycare provider decided to retire a year early due to the pandemic and so we had to find a new daycare for one year. I was nervous I wasn't going to be able to find someone who loved my daughter and cared for her as well as our first one. But I thank my lucky stars with how fortunate we were to find Sharda. Cadence loved going there each and every day and spoke so highly of Sharda and all of her friends. Every interaction we have had with Sharda has always been extremely positive. That goes for her entire family as well. Sharda is so patient and kind. She is very conscientious and diligent and keeps the kids very safe. She followed all COVID protocols very well. It is such a blessing to drop your child off and not have a single worry. I could go on and on with many great things to say about her. As Cadence heads off to school I know she will miss her and her friends. I know it is hard to leave your child with someone new, but can promise you, you will not regret leaving them with Sharda.
Andrea & Brain Cummings
Our family has been fortunate enough to have had Sharda Kaura provide us with childcare over the course of the last three years. She cared for our first son from the time he was 14 months to two years old, and then both our sons when the youngest was only 10 months. I was never concerned about the quality of care they were receiving and in fact - learned some valuable tips from Sharda along the way! My oldest had quite bad eczema in his early years and Sharda was very attentive to this. She monitored it closely, made sure he was wearing a bib, told me if she saw any signs of worsening, etc. He also has food allergies which Sharda was very cautious about. He was allergic to dairy until the age of two and is still allergic to peanuts and sesame. Sharda always assured me that any foods with peanuts were put away before he arrived, counters were wiped down, her hands and face had been washed, etc. Peanuts were never given to any of the children and she also went out of her way to prepare him separate lunches if the other children were eating something with dairy in it. There was an Epipen that went with my son every day. Sharda always gave me a report at the end of the day for each child: how they slept, how they ate, diaper changes, etc. I greatly appreciated this feedback, as it often can impact the rest of the child's day/evening. In the event that she forgot to give me the report and for whatever reason I wanted to know anything about how the day went, I could always send her a text message and she would respond quickly. Sharda's crafts are something I will miss very much! My son loved doing them and was always so proud to give them to me at the end of the day. They were always different and creative. I could tell that Sharda spent her own time looking into what new crafts the children would enjoy. Sharda would send me videos throughout the day of the fun the kids were having doing crafts, playing, or singing songs, which would make me smile to see them so happy. Even on the days where there may have been tears in the morning, and my sons didn't want to go, when it was time to go home, they wanted to stay to play or to finish whatever book they were all reading. I think this speaks volumes about the fun that was had. Sharda would have a little gift for children on their birthdays or Christmas, and truly cares for these children like they are her own. She really made it feel like we were all family. We live in Bridlewood and still drive by the Kaura house on a frequent basis. My oldest always says, "Hi Sharda's house!" as we go past. He mentions her often and I know you will be happy with the care your child receives from her.