Dalby parents Sarah and Lloyd Courtney open new daycare Play Early Learning Centre
A pair of Dalby business owners and parents of four are prepped for the opening of their new daycare centre, and have not only opened up about life, but their journey in discovering the ‘right path’ for them.
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Parents of four children, Sarah and Lloyd Courtney are set to start the first day of their brand new daycare centre on Monday and have opened up about how they reached the big decision to take more children under their wings with the new business venture.
A former Toowoomba woman who now calls Dalby home, Mrs Courtney said she was confident to open their doors to 22 children next week.
“We had a ‘Stay and Play’ (Wednesday) morning, and it went really well,” she said.
“It’s like a bulk tour of the place rather than having each kid come through and we showed them where to put their bag and where they can play.”
Mrs Courtney has long been in the education industry having studied a bachelor of education while working at the Early Learning Centre at Dalby Christian College between 2009 and 12, and even achieving her masters in education and cognitive psychology.
“I had my daughter and started Baby Brain Connections (in 2017),” she said.
“Baby Brain Connections was for baby classes, we did sensory development stuff as we didn’t have anything out here at the time.
“We would do one week as social development, then maybe sensory the next and then music.”
Not long after giving birth to her second child, daughter Lucy, and starting a brand new business, Mrs Courtney had her third child Teddy before Covid-19 hit.
“When it hit we couldn’t do classes, that’s when I studied my masters and my father passed away,” she said.
The mother of four opened up about her experience with post-natal depression after having her third child and discussed how it was during isolation that she reconnected with herself and her family.
“I started to work out that I wasn’t OK,” she said.
“There’s a lot of ups and downs with depression and anxiety and once you start to iron that out, you realise how you are internally.
“A lot of what I did in cognitive psychology is learning who you are and finding out what works for you to learn, and its different for everyone.”
With her own experiences, Mrs Courtney was able to come to the realisation that passing down methods of learning to young people was her calling.
“This isn’t our first business so for us it was another business opportunity that I could use my knowledge and profession for,” she said.
“I felt it was my niche.”
The pair will be providing other parents with a much-needed break, and relieving some of those who have been on numerous childcare waiting lists.
“I know there’s a few mums at home and their reasons for getting kids in is their mental health,” she said.
“They weren’t getting a break from their just or have time to unwind, for some they’d been on an 18 month waiting list.”
Mrs Courtney said within 12 hours of posting the news about their new daycare, spots were filled.
“We have a waitlist for the next few years, it’s so wonderful people have chosen us as well.”
Despite the building previously being a daycare a year prior, Mr Courtney who is also business manager and director of the centre was also helping making renovations to the site.
“We haven’t really changed in terms of structure,” Mrs Courtney said.
“But we’ve gutted the front of it, we painted the inside and out.”
The pair said they were confident with the new direction.
“It’s not our first business but its out first childcare,” she said.
“I just feel really at peace about where we’re headed which is really lovely.
“With depression and anxiety you do worry you’re going to be anxious but to feel happy is great, it’s a nice way to feel.”
Play Early Learning Centre which is open on Monday, February 13 is located at 129 Bunya St Dalby.
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