Meet our Tykes & Tots Management Team
See an overview of our Tykes and Tots Management Team below.
We are always looking for well-qualified Early Childhood Educators to join our team of dedicated professionals.
If you think you’ve got what it takes to join our team, we would love to hear from you. Submit your resume by email to us at any time.
Tykes and Tots follows the principles of play and exploration as set out by the Ministry of Education.
Our Management Team
Nancy Lautner
Executive Director
I started my professional career in the field of human resources. A random conversation led me to the childcare field where I truly found my calling. I’ve been in the field for over 20 years, working directly with the children, being a centre director, developing new locations and growing the organization and developing people to be leaders themselves. I’ve learned that my true passion is creating high-quality environments for children and educators to thrive. I focus on both the physical environment of our programs as well as the culture, policies and practices that guide our everyday actions and experiences. I believe that high-quality early childhood education is foundational to our society in that investment in the early years has profound positive outcomes later in life. I am dedicated to supporting life-long learning and growth.
Email: nlautner@tykesntots.ca
Michelle Wacholtz
Business Administrator
I have been in the accounting field for 30+ years. I’ve worked for both accounting firms and private businesses which has given me lots of experience. Starting in June 2013, I did the bookkeeping for Tykes in the evenings while working elsewhere full time. In early 2017, Tykes and Tots was awarded the centre at the joint-use school in Hampton Village. I was asked to join the company full time and have been there ever since. Working for Tykes and Tots has been by far the most rewarding position that I have ever had. I have found that in this position, I have the best of both worlds. I get to do the job that I love and also interact with all of the children and their families.
Email: mwacholtz@tykesntots.ca
Carlea Taylor
Director, Laurier Drive location
I have been in the Education field for almost 15 years, but I accidentally fell into the Early Learning field 13 years ago and I love it! I have a B.Ed in Education and I have my ECE Level III. I started with Tykes and Tots in 2013 and am currently the Director at our Laurier location. I believe that learning opportunities present themselves every day and it’s my job to keep learning. My favourite part of this job is the opportunity to mentor people as they teach and influence the next generation.
Email: ctaylor@tykesntots.ca
Denise Skuce
Pedagogical Leader, Hampton Location
They say when career and passion come together, you will never work a day in your life. Being in the field of Early Learning is definitely my passion. My entire adult life I have been a lifelong learner and advocate for Early Childhood Education. I am very passionate about outdoor play and connecting children to the natural world. In my current position as the Pedagogical Leader of our Hampton location and director of the Forest School Program, both of my passions have come together. I hope to inspire educators to follow their own dreams and passions, so that they too, never have to work a day in their life.
Email: dskuce@tykesntots.ca
Jenna Struck
Director, East Side Locations Ecole Cardinal Leger and Lakewood Location
Did you know children are the smartest beings on earth Honest and resilient are just some of the words I would use to describe them. As adults we sometimes do not give them enough credit for who they are and what they know. I know my journey in childcare has taught me so much about children and has broken some of the misconceptions I have had in the past. Working with children has really taught me what It means to be a good person. I try my best daily to empathize, understand and respect others and their stories. Sometimes it is still a struggle, but hey, at least I can count on my little friends to keep me in my place.
Email: jstruck@tykesntots.ca
Lindsay Lowe
Program Development and Preschool Coordinator
I started working at Tykes in May 2012 and became the Program Development Coordinator in 2017. As I’ve grown in the early learning field, I’ve discovered that my skills and strengths are not only in providing quality care but also in engaging with parents and the community and promoting Tykes and Tots. I believe that children are competent learners who want to grow and expand their minds. Children need the opportunity to make choices, engage in risky play, and take time to discover things about themselves.
Email: llowe@tykesntots.ca
Howard Rose
School Age Program Director
I grew up on the Island of Jamaica and taught at the secondary and tertiary levels. In 2018, I migrated to Canada and transitioned into early childhood, joining the Tykes and Tots family. I always remind children that they are the architects of their path and being an educator has allowed me to be a protector, a mentor and an example for children and the colleagues I work with on a daily basis. I have dedicated over 20 years of my life to this noble profession, pursuing multiple degrees to sharpen my knowledge to positively influence the lives and decisions of the young men and women of tomorrow.
Email: hrose@tykesntots.ca
Jennifer Smith
Acting Director - St. Anne School Location
I became an educator with Tykes and Tots in 2015 and Team Lead in 2017. My passion is teaching language and literacy and I believe the outdoors can cure any bad mood.
Email: jsmith@tykesntots.ca
Graeme Williams
Team Lead, Laurier Location
I began working with children through summer camps in 2006 and began working with Tykes and Tots in 2014. I believe in encouraging children to have as much freedom as possible. Freedom to think, freedom to feel, freedom to move, freedom to create, and freedom to imagine. When a child experiences these freedoms, there is no limit to what they can achieve.
Email: gwilliams@tykesntots.ca
Erin Overfield
Team Lead, Ecole Cardinal Leger Location
I started my journey with Tykes and Tots as a Team Lead in 2017. I strive to ensure a safe, fun, and loving environment and take a holistic approach to child development.
Email: eoverfield@tykesntots.ca
Cosette Kehoe
Team Lead, Hampton Location
I started my journey with Tykes in 2017 as an ECE and then became a Team Lead in 2019. As a child I used to love playing outside and making mud cakes, feeling the dirt and sand between my toes (some things never change). Now as an adult I can inspire learning through nature and our surroundings. My favourite saying is “If we are dirty, you know we had a fun day”.
Email: ckohoe@tykesntots.ca
Carolyn Tomlinson-Elliston
Team Lead, Hampton Location
I migrated to Canada in 2015 to pursue a master’s degree in Education. I taught in the high school system in Jamaica for 22 years.
It was my pleasure to join the Tykes and Tots Team, in September of 2019 and in February of 2022 became the second Team Lead at the Hampton location. I strongly believe that a child’s early years are the foundation for his or her future development, providing a strong base for lifelong learning and learning abilities, including cognitive and social development.
I must agree with Fred Rogers, “Every child is a different kind of flower, and all together, make this world a beautiful garden”.
Email: celliston@tykesntots.ca
Amanda Yousif
Director, St. Anne School Location (Temporary Leave)
I have been in childcare for 18 years. I have been at Tykes for almost 4 years. I believe that while we are busy trying to teach our children all about life, our children are actually teaching us
what life is truly all about.
Put Your Family in Our Good Hands
Get In Touch
Do you want more information before deciding if one of Tykes and Tots’ programs is right for your child? Send us a message and one of our management team will reach out to you as soon as they can.