At Kids & Company, we foster growth in the Kidco Way; creating a culture of kindness, innovation, diversity, courage and optimism. We rely heavily on these values to guide our decision-making, our problem-solving and the way we treat our children, employees, families and partners.
Kind
Be thoughtful, listen and understand.
We act with kindness first and foremost.
We understand kindness fosters positive emotional ties with our children.
We invest in an ‘employee care’ attitude to help teams bring their best selves each day.
Innovative
Embrace imagination, resourcefulness and sustainable practices.
We use creative, original thinking every day.
We encourage out-of-the-box thinking in our classrooms.
We prioritize sustainability and fresh ideas for getting there.
At Kids & Company, our commitment to sustainability is deeply embedded in our values. We recognize the importance of addressing global challenges and strive to make a positive impact on society, the environment, and the well-being of future generations.
Our approach to sustainability is aligned with specific actions under the following United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): 4 (Quality Education), 5 (Gender Equality), 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure), 10 (Reduced Inequality), 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), 13 (Climate Action), 15 (Life on Land), and 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions). We are dedicated to implementing initiatives that contribute to these goals and foster a sustainable future for all. Some highlights include the following;
Climate Action
Recognizing the pivotal role that education plays in shaping the future, we prioritize educating the next generation about the importance of climate action and environmental stewardship. As we work to instill in our children a passion for the environment and for keeping the planet healthy, we are also implementing initiatives that deliver on those principles from an organizational perspective. In 2022, we began a journey in assessing our company’s carbon footprint in an effort to find ways to reduce our environmental impact – starting with our Canadian operations. This year, we are expanding the assessment to include our footprint in the United States as well, and will be actively working towards a comprehensive decarbonization plan.
We are committed to leveraging the findings of the assessments in order to continually improve our commitments to sustainability and make more environmentally conscious decisions. One of these areas has been in our Kidco Kitchen, which works exclusively with food suppliers that focus on recycling, reduced carbon footprint, and sustainable production. Menus include more vegetarian protein and all fish is certified under the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC).
Reduced Inequality
We are committed to fostering an inclusive environment in each of our classrooms where children feel valued, respected, and celebrated for their unique qualities. Our Diversity and Inclusion Committee meets monthly, providing an open forum for all staff to actively contribute to this commitment.
Equally, Kids & Company is committed to reducing inequality in our workforce. We strive to create an inclusive workplace where employees’ diversity is acknowledged and celebrated, and accommodations are provided to persons with disabilities to ensure equal opportunities in employment. While our educators make sure our children feel valued, seen, and heard, we do the same for our educators who come from all walks of life, speak dozens of languages and reflect the diverse families and communities that we serve.
Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
Kids & Company is excited to be supporting eco-friendly practices in our learning environments, fostering an infrastructure that aligns with the global goal of building resilient and sustainable communities. As of January 2024, our child care locations are proudly endorsed by Eco-Healthy Child Care®, a national program that partners with child care professionals to eliminate environmental hazards in early learning settings with the goal of protecting the health of children and staff. This endorsement signifies our dedication to industry advancements, innovation, and the overall well-being of both the children in our care and the planet they will inherit.
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Diverse
Respect and celebrate our differences.
We are intentional in maintaining a diverse and inclusive organization.
We celebrate every child’s unique background and identity.
We embrace different internal perspectives when making decisions.
Courageous
Be bold, brave and speak up for what you believe in.
We know it takes bold action and courageous leadership to build a successful organization.
We teach our children to persevere against challenges and stand up for each other.
We encourage employees to assert their opinions and provide constructive feedback.
Optimistic
Look at challenges with an open mind to possibilities.
We value positivity and choose to see the good in people first.
We teach our children to look at situations with positivity and an open mind.
We believe in the value of uplifting environments for our employees.
We take the role of nurturing and developing the minds, bodies and spirits of children seriously. We follow an emergent curriculum philosophy, which means our teachers are trained to facilitate learning opportunities and spark discovery. We demonstrate curiosity and excitement about the world around us by approaching the world according to the values of The Kidco Way.
Kidco Kudos Awards
Formerly our Random Acts of Kindness program, Kids & Company recognizes its staff who go above and beyond to exemplify our Kidco Way values in their own way. We encourage parents, employees and partners touched by the acts of a Kids & Company staff member to shout out the ways they were kind, innovative, diverse, courageous or optimistic.
“Those are the words that really speak to who we are as an organization.”
In 2020, during the global pandemic, Kids & Company paused to collaborate across teams on the ‘why’ and ‘how’ we do what we do. With a firm belief that children are the future, we aim to impact their present. And our approach is guided heavily by the values of being kind, innovative, diverse, courageous and optimistic.
