18 | Acquisition International, Issue 8 2023 Play, Grow, Laugh, Learn! With 25 years of experience in the field of early learning and development, Leslie Topp founded TOPP KIDS with a mission dedicated to top quality care and education. Now managed by her son, Cody, the company has continued to change lives for the better. We spoke to Cody on the back of TOPP KIDS’ well-deserved success in being named Most Outstanding Out of School Clubs Operator 2023 – Canada. Contact: Cody Topp Company: TOPP KIDS Out Of School Clubs Web Address: https://toppkids.com/ TOPP KIDS believes that, after a long day of school, children should be able to choose what activities they participate in, so its programmes ensure that children are allowed to make these choices dayto-day. By giving agency to the individuals that it serves, and empowering them with decisions that impact them, TOPP KIDS is doing something that few, surprisingly, do in this space. But the difference between TOPP KIDS and its peers, competitors, and the like, is staggering. The results, obvious. Here, Cody explains more in his own words. “The company aims to allow children to explore their interests and build important skills such as leadership and social capacity. A great way of doing this is by essentially allowing children to lead their own clubs by giving them the freedom to choose what they do. The company’s mission is to provide high quality, accessible, and affordable childcare to families. It strives to meet the changing needs of the children by creating new programmes every year.” Leslie Topp founded TOPP KIDS in 2010 based on her ‘Play, Grow, Laugh & Learn’ model, four fundamental ideas that the organisation continues to value today. In 2012, following Leslie’s Lupus diagnosis, her son Cody stepped in to continue building her dream. He kick-started the development of TOPP KIDS’ high standards and systems, which resulted in the organisation obtaining accredited status and exceeding its quality goals. Following this, Cody worked to develop more locations and programmes. Since then, TOPP KIDS has become a leading care provider and is now nationally recognised. Thanks to his passion for growth and development, Cody has created a way to effectively share Early Learning Care resources within the industry. This is TOPP KIDS’ latest project, the ELCC and Community Development Education Centre, a resource hub for families and childcare professionals. Now hosting workshops and seminars presented by knowledgeable industry professionals and community partners, the organisation aims to create a new standard for School Age Care training. TOPP KIDS is in the process of transitioning the entire group to a non-profit model, which will be known as the TOPP KIDS Foundation, allowing the company to seek funding for its various projects. Moving forwards, the company aims to open more programmes throughout Calgary and expand its reach further into Alberta. It would also like to extend the reach of its educational resources by moving towards an online system, allowing more people to attend workshops by removing barriers created by time and geographical location. Ideally, TOPP KIDS would also like to be able to provide no-cost care, removing barriers to low-income families and allowing them to access the care they need. Keeping the community at the heart of its company, the work TOPP KIDS does for its community is invaluable, making it clear why the organisation has been recognised within this awards programme. The company continues to aim high and is looking towards a bright future. Jul23123 “ Children are not only able to make use of a large range of free-play equipment, but also have access to structured activities that promote literacy, science, maths, artistic expression, social emotional literacy, and physical activity. “ 59 | Global Excellence Awards 2023
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