March 2026 Executive Director Report:  Growing Together Through Change

As we welcome March in Winnipeg, we step into a season of transition that invites reflection, renewal, and movement. In many Indigenous seasonal teachings, this time of year is understood as a period of awakening—when the land begins to stir, the light returns, and we prepare ourselves for new growth. The days begin to stretch a little longer, the light returns, and we are reminded that change—while sometimes challenging—is also full of promise. 

This month marks a significant period of growth for Splash. Educators are preparing to move into our new early learning centres, while new educators are being trained and welcomed into our current centres. These shifts represent more than logistical changes; they are an investment in people, in quality, and in the future of the communities we serve.

What an exciting milestone we will be enjoying with the opening of the Splash Mino Pimatisiwin Children’s Centre and the Splash Faraday Satellite Site. As the name Mino Pimatisiwin Children’s Centre reminds us, these spaces are grounded in the understanding of living a good life—one rooted in care, balance, and community responsibility. These new sites will bring high-quality, inclusive care to new communities, expanding our reach while deepening our responsibility. As we open these doors, it is essential that each new site is grounded in the caring culture of Splash—a culture built on respect, safety, belonging, and connection. This work is not easy, but it is deeply important. Maintaining safe spaces where children, families, and educators can truly flourish requires intention, consistency, and heart.

Navigating Change with Grace

Change is inevitable—and often necessary—but it is how we respond to change that truly matters. By working together, communicating openly, and supporting one another, we can move through transitions with grace. When we stay grounded in community and purpose, change becomes an opportunity rather than an obstacle.

Leading Together Through Change

Equally important is the role of our Management Team. Working together to reinforce our shared mission and values ensures that our centres remain safe, nurturing environments, even as change unfolds. While the Splash community may exist across different locations and teams, we are united by a solid foundation of shared values. This consistency is what allows us to navigate change with confidence and care.Thank you to each of you for your dedication, your flexibility, and your commitment to one another, the educators and to the families we serve. As we move through this season together, let us continue to lean into the power of community—supporting one another, sharing knowledge, and staying grounded in the values that define Splash. The hard work you do every day strengthens our community and ensures that Splash continues to be a place where everyone belongs and has the opportunity to thrive.

Community at the Heart of Splash

Community is at the core of everything we do at Splash. As we grow, our first priority will be to meaningfully involve new educators and children in their new neighbourhoods, ensuring they feel supported, valued, and connected. Strong relationships are the foundation of quality early learning, and those relationships begin with how we welcome one another.

Important Collaboration; Board of Splash, Families and Educators

As we enter this season of change, I invite each of us to pause, reflect, and recommit to our shared purpose. Let us welcome new educators with openness, embed our caring culture in every new space, and walk alongside one another with respect and kindness. Together, we all create safe, nurturing environments where children, families, and educators can flourish.

Lesley Massey

Executive Director 

S.P.L.A.S.H. Child Care Inc., Splash Child Enrichment Centre, Splash Early Learning Centre, Splash Urban Learning Centre and Splash Mino Pimatisiwin Children's Centre

Reconciliation is a journey for all Canadians.

“Splash Child Care Inc. acknowledges that the land on which we gather is stolen land, the original inhabitants driven off, forced to relocate. This is the reality of colonization. Covenants were formed, in the languages of the colonizers, called treaties, but these were amended and broken by the colonizers as desired. This land knows sorrow. But this land also knows joy and hope. Hope that the future will not be like the past. And so with humility and respect we commit ourselves to the continuing promise of reconciliation, the reclamation of dignity, the restoration of just relationships. We are all Treaty People.”