Churcher Group

One of the most meaningful parts of my work is the people I get to share it with. 🤎

To the clients, colleagues, partners, and child care leaders who have welcomed me into your programs, shared your ideas and challenges, and trusted me to support your next steps—thank you.

I’m grateful for the relationships we’ve built and the opportunity to learn and grow alongside you.

Wishing you and your families a warm and restful Thanksgiving. 🍂

— Krystal

https://daycaredepot.ca/?dt_id=3592486

Some resources earn their place in your program over and over again. These are one of my favourites. 🤍

Liquid floor tiles can be used in so many different ways—sensory exploration, movement games, colour recognition, pathways or simply watching what happens when little hands and feet press down. I love resources that work across age groups and leave room for children to bring their own ideas to the play.

You can find these at Daycare Depot, a local Calgary business we’re pleased to work with through The Churcher Group.

Take a look: daycaredepot.ca/products/liquid-floor-tiles Use CODE ACE2026 for a 10% discount at check out.

How would you use these in your program?

When did someone on your team last hear exactly what they were doing well?

Gallup found that 80% of employees who said they received meaningful feedback in the past week were fully engaged.

In a child care program, meaningful feedback might sound like this:

“I noticed how you supported that child through drop-off. You acknowledged their feelings, gave them time and helped them find a comfortable way to join the room.”

That tells an educator which practice you noticed and why it matters.

During a busy day, it is easy for our conversations to focus on coverage, schedules and what needs fixing. Make room to recognize the thoughtful work happening around you, too.

This week: notice one specific practice, name its impact and tell the educator.

📖 Read: A Great Manager’s Most Important Habit

Explore practical leadership learning at COS 2027 in Calgary.
https://www.churchergroup.com/event-details/cos-2027-childcare-leadership-summit

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀 𝗮 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴?

Next week, the Childcare Operators Academy welcomes 𝗥𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝗣𝗮𝘀𝘀𝘄𝗮𝗹𝗮, 𝗖𝗙𝗔, Director, Corporate Finance at BMO, for our Week 6 expert session: 𝗕𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗕𝗮𝗻𝗸𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲.

We’ll explore what lenders look for, what builds confidence in your business, and how cash flow, financial preparation and a clear plan can support sustainable growth.

Whether you’re preparing to 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗻, 𝗽𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗿 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗱 a childcare program, understanding the lender’s perspective can help you ask better questions and make more informed decisions.

📅 𝗧𝘂𝗲𝘀𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝗢𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟭𝟯
🕖 𝟳:𝟬𝟬 𝗽.𝗺. 𝗠𝗧
💻 𝗟𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗔𝗰𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗺𝘆 𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘀

Practical learning. Direct access to experienced professionals. Stronger foundations for the business behind quality care.

Learn more about the Academy:
https://www.churchergroup.com

There’s a little magic in getting the right people in the same room. ✨

Virtual learning has opened incredible doors—more access, more voices, fewer barriers. I wouldn’t want to lose that.

But there’s something different about being together.

The eye contact. The conversation over coffee. The person beside you saying, “We’re going through that too.” The sense that, whatever we’re navigating, we’re in this together.
My latest Substack is about why the room still matters—and the kind of connection we can’t quite schedule or replicate.

The Magic of Being in the Room
🔗 Read it here: https://kchurcher.substack.com/p/the-magic-of-being-in-the-room?r=8g5v03&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true

There’s a little magic in getting the right people in the same room. ✨

The energy. The conversations. The speaker who puts words to something you’ve been struggling with. The person beside you who says, “We’re going through that too.”

With so much professional learning happening online, opportunities to come together in person feel especially meaningful. Time to step away from the daily demands of running a child care program, meet the people behind the names, and build connections that last beyond the event.

That’s what COS 2027 is about.

Connecting our industry across Alberta and Canada. Sharing our experiences, mentoring and learning from each other, and finding common ground in our commitment to the communities and families we serve.

At The Churcher Group, we believe making room for these connections is part of building a stronger child care sector. Sometimes, one conversation can change how you approach a challenge—or remind you that you don’t have to figure it all out alone.

Come for the learning. Leave with people in your corner.

✨ COS 2027 | Childcare Leadership Summit
📍 Bow Valley College, Calgary
📅 March 13–14, 2027
*PD Approved in Alberta

Join us:
https://www.churchergroup.com/event-details/cos-2027-childcare-leadership-summit

The leadership summit built for the business of child care.
Operations. Management. Leadership.

Bring Your Team to Illuminate Play!

Professional learning is even better when you experience it together. Gather your team, spend the day exploring, playing, reflecting and connecting—and take those conversations and ideas back into your practice together.

Groups of 6 or more receive 15% off!
Simply register your team members using the Group Ticket option when registering for Illuminate Play Conference 2026.

📅 November 7, 2026
📍 Calgary, Alberta

One day. A whole lot of play. And even better when your team is beside you.

🎟️ Register your group today! https://whova.com/portal/registration/uT-4Bf1qxG7YFDeKxlsI/

You know your program. You know your families. How well do you know your numbers?

Our Childcare Operators Academy participants welcomed Ray P. Lewchuk of Blue Chip Wealth Strategies Inc. for a practical conversation about the numbers behind running a child care business.

Ray brought nearly 50 years of financial industry experience, including 26 years with BMO, alongside firsthand experience building a child care business—connecting financial planning to the realities operators face every day.

Three areas every child care leader should give attention to:

▪️ Understand your operating costs. Know what it truly costs to deliver your program, beyond the largest monthly bills.

▪️ Connect staffing, ratios and enrolment to your budget. These decisions work together and directly affect your program’s financial sustainability.

▪️ Use your numbers to plan ahead. Review your budget against actual results, identify pressures and make informed decisions.

Thank you, Ray, for sharing your experience and helping participants build confidence in understanding their businesses.

The learning continues beyond the expert session. Academy Guides, practical workbooks, templates and Saturday workshops help participants apply the information to their own programs and build a resource library they can keep coming back to.

That’s what Foundations of Finance & Funding is about: strengthening the knowledge and planning behind a sustainable child care program.

Connect with Ray:
https://www.bluechipwealth.ca/

Explore the Childcare Operators Academy:
https://www.churchergroup.com/academy