London, ON – After waiting for almost two decades on a government waitlist, 19-year-old Chad Mendes is finally getting a subsidized daycare spot.
The son of a single mother was placed on a government wait list on August 17th, 1997 two days after his birth. That all changed last week when his mom received a phone call from a local child care centre telling her that there was a spot that opened up for Chad.
“I’ve been looking forward to getting this experience,” said the high school graduate who is now working two part time jobs in the service industry. “I remember many of my friends who went to Mrs. Wiggles Daycare Centre and they said the place will be a right fit for my childhood development that I never received.”
Daycare workers were impressed on how well Chad was fitting into his new surroundings and commended his good manners, large vocabulary, and ability to drive a car.
“He’s a lot larger than the other children, but he still puts his toys away and asks permission to use the washroom,” explained Mrs. Wiggles Daycare Centre worker Paula Achom. “We only have problems when he’s leaving without permission saying “he can’t be late for work again or they’ll fire my ass.” He’s just silly sometimes.”
At press time, day care staff had seized Chad’s cell phone for talking to his imaginary girlfriend again.
