I often receive messages of gratitude from readers. If Nanny&Me helped your family, maybe saved you money on agency fees, or supported you in building a strong relationship with your nanny, then here is your chance to pay it forward. I don’t make money from Nanny&Me; I don’t charge fees to access the resources that I’ve developed and I don’t have advertisements on my site. I developed Nanny&Me out of a desire to empower and support families in need. 

I am a firm believer in paying things forward and giving back, so rather than ever asking you for something for myself, I am going to ask you to give what you can to a charity that is near and dear to my heart. L’Arche is an organization that I have been involved with for over a decade. There is an upcoming bowlathon fundraiser for L’Arche Toronto with a goal of raising $45,000 to support the critical work that they do. I hope you’ll read and share my L’Arche story, and consider giving what you can, whether it be $10 or $100, it is all greatly appreciated.

MY L'ARCHE STORY...

Simply put, L’Arche changed my life.

My journey with L’Arche began a decade ago when a friend invited me to go for dinner at a L’Arche home in Toronto where she was living. I showed up to a house that appeared like any other, but what I found when I walked in the door was something completely unique; a home where people with and without developmental disabilities were living together, in community. At the dinner table, everyone shared not just in a meal, but in an experience, conveying their gratitude for the food that had been thoughtfully prepared (they made me a vegan dinner), and for one another’s company. The love and light around the dinner table was remarkable. There is something so uniquely transformative about experiencing L’Arche for the first time. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but I suppose it’s like coming home, home to a place where you immediately belong, where you are welcomed in with open arms, and cherished for being you.

The experience inspired me so I made the decision to live in L’Arche. I was 19 and looking for adventure so I picked L’Arche Vancouver so that I could check out west coast living. I spent the next year of my life growing into the person that I had always wanted to become…someone who was thoughtful, patient, and deliberate, and someone who had a whole lot of fun. L’Arche brought tenderness into my life. L’Arche is not like other group homes, in fact L’Arche homes really aren’t “group homes” at all…they are homes in the truest definition of the word, where people live and share their lives together. The people who live in L’Arche homes eat together, play together, and sleep under one roof, moving through life side by side, and as part of a larger community, as part of something greater than themselves.

Fast forward 6 years to my nana’s passing. My aunt who has a developmental disability and lived with my nana, needed a new home. The stars must have aligned because my aunt was offered a place in L’Arche Toronto. My mom and I were floored, with a shortage of thousands of spaces for people with disabilities across Ontario, it was as if all of our dreams for my aunt were coming true. At a time so full of sadness, I watched L’Arche transform my aunt’s life; I watched her flourish. She became more active, developed a robust social life, starting attending a number of engaging programs, and participating in a range of activities. Soon my aunt’s calendar was more jam packed than mine, and she was thriving. Before moving into L’Arche my aunt struggled with a number of fears/anxieties that prevented her from participating in a lot of activities. L’Arche is a place that doesn’t so much force people past these types of fears, but invites them to let them go, and they have done a wonderful job of supporting my aunt in coping with some of these anxieties so that she can lead a more fulfilling life every day.

Fast forward another 4 years and my aunt is a valued member of a community, and I am working at L’Arche Toronto. My career has come full circle, having lived in L’Arche a decade ago, I have been able to return to share my experience and expertise in the non-profit sector in a stimulating role within the development office, helping to build the organization’s capacity to transform more lives.

And wouldn’t you know it that all these years later, my aunt is living in the very house that I ate supper in over a decade ago; the very house that inspired me to open my heart to L’Arche. L’Arche instilled in me the values and principles that I carried forward into my life (personally and professionally). I will be eternally grateful for what L’Arche has provided me, and one of the ways that I demonstrate this gratitude is by being a donor myself.

L’Arche changes thousands of lives worldwide (there are over 145 communities in 30 countries), and I am inviting you to be part of that change.

TO SPONSOR ME, CLICK HERE 



 L’ARCHE TORONTO transforms lives through a community-based approach to supporting individuals with developmental disabilities. Founded on the principles of belonging and inclusion, L’ARCHE TORONTO provides daily living and employment supports, and a creative/performance arts program. At L’ARCHE TORONTO people with and without disabilities live together, and share their lives, learning from one another and growing together every day! L’ARCHE TORONTO is one of 147 L’Arche communities worldwide, founded by Templeton Prize recipient Jean Vanier.

The day we've all been waiting for on the edge of our seats...our nanny (Genette) was approved for work in Canada!! She just received the email from the visa office!

We could not be more excited to welcome Genette into our home! She has shared the news with her family, and friends, and we have set a date for her to arrive...April 23rd!!

Next Steps:
  • Obtain information from nanny (passport & visa) in order to book her flight
  • Research flight requirements (stopovers, ID etc)
  • Book flight
  • Send her flight itinerary
  • Ensure she has all required documentation for entry into Canada (and research what is required)
  • Finish sewing drapes for her bedroom
  • Put finishing touches on orientation binder
  • Book time off work (her first two days to have fun in the city)
  • Put together welcome package
  • Obtain WSIB coverage
  • Obtain private health insurance for OHIP waiting period
  • and so much more!!

What a truly exciting time! Looks like it's time to read my own post on how to welcome a nanny. :-)



Well a few days ago we got some startling news. When our future nanny applied for her work permit she did so alongside a group of co-applicants all under the guidance of a Hong Kong based consultant.  We received word that one of the women in this group was denied her permit approval. I don't know many of the details, nor is it any of my business, but suffice to say that I am more than a little nervous now. I didn't really know this could happen after receiving a positive LMO (aside from the obvious parameters like police checks etc)!

The first thing that crossed my mind was sadness for  both the family awaiting their new nanny, and the nanny who has been denied her opportunity to come to Canada. My heart sank thinking about the family and their nanny. We are so very excited to welcome our future nanny into our home, and not just because we look forward to having the support with Logan and around the house, but because we have gotten to know her and are genuinely excited for her to join our household. I can't imagine what the family is going through both with regards to now arranging childcare when they had probably invested the last year into this process, and also the emotional stress of having their plan completely derailed. It would be quite devastating to find out that the person with whom you wanted to entrust your child's care had been denied the opportunity to do so. I should say that I understand why we have parameters around applications, and I don't know all of the details, it just seems like an unfortunate happenstance that one can have their LMIA approved and then have the permit denied.

Before selecting our future nanny, we were careful to make sure that she qualified for entrance to Canada (ie. had adequate training and work experience), and we also double checked that we met all of the requirements (household income etc). Even though she and we met all of the requirements, I can't help but panic when I hear about someone being turned down. Our future nanny and her co-applicants all used the same consultant so that also worries me. I would have assumed that using a Hong Kong based consultant would ensure their application acceptance since one would think that she would have warned them ahead of time if they didn't meet all of the requirements, or one would hope that she would.

Amidst all of this news, I did discover that while I submitted my 2012 and 2013 notice of assessments with her permit application, I submitted my husband's 2011 and 2013 (gasp!). Now theoretically this shouldn't matter since my income meets the requirements, but I am very worried nonetheless. In order to subside my anxiety, I amended our application documents by submitting my husband's 2012 notice of assessment via an online submission tool, as well as through an email provided by our future nanny.

I am asking all of you, my readers, to send us some super positive vibes! On the bright side, the fact that one of the applications was already processed from the bunch is great news as maybe we will get to welcome our nanny into our home sooner than we think, but on the down side, I am feeling like we're hanging in the balance. It's out of our hands now, so think good thoughts everyone!

Crossing my (sadly) un-manicured fingers and my toes...
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I am SO excited to have my son, Logan, provided with the one-on-one care of a nanny in our home. The process of recruiting and keeping a nanny seems intimidating at times and there are so many things to think about and consider. The goal of my blog is to support, encourage and empower parents who are considering and pursuing the path of a nanny.

Nanny&Me provides free resources and information that will support you in finding, selecting, and keeping a great nanny. Nanny&Me will also share our family's journey on the road to building a strong and positive relationship with our nanny.

About Me

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Hi! (not sure the exclamation mark was necessary, but I'm just excited to say hello). My name's Jenn. I am a passionate mom, non-profit executive, real estate hobbiest, and athlete. I'm an enthusiastic person with a growth mindset. I love learning and growing every day!

Hi Readers!

Hi Readers!
I'm Jenn. I'm a mom, animal lover (vegan), and non-profit leader who is all about sharing resources and having FUN. I lead an active lifestyle that includes a plant-based diet and lots of running, cycling, swimming, outdoor recreation, kayaking, and all things active and outdoors.

What else am I up to?

DAREarts empowers children and youth from underserved communities across Canada through arts-based leadership programs.

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