former nursery director, she decides to open her own
“I really want to create a micro-nursery on a human scale”, this is Clémence Despax’s primary objective. Throughout her career with young children, the former director of a multi-care center decided to open her own micro-nursery in Toulouse according to the needs of parents and thanks to her experience. On October 10, 2022, she begins a new adventure with her micro-nursery, “Les Berceaux d’Occitanie”.
A micro crèche for 12 children
The opening of this micro-nursery in October 2022 is a big step for Clémence Despax. Everything has been thought out according to his experience in the early childhood profession. Contacted by The Independent Opinionshe explains :
I try to highlight that it is a crèche set up by an early childhood professional who has worked in childcare establishments, I know the teams are tired, untrained… All the faults that I lived in the field, I don’t want to find them in my daily life and that I especially don’t want to offer to parents”.
She then plans to welcome 12 children in her establishment, located on the road to Agde, in the Roseraie district. Clémence Despax then counts on its employees, they will be four and a half, “it allows to turn serenely and make this project, a micro-nursery on a human scale, in short circuit”. “I wanted to be able to meet the needs of families but through a structure that speaks to me more, more family, more contained, smaller team, fewer children. That’s why I went on a micro-nursery,” she says.
A welcome for all
An important point that Clémence Despax emphasizes: she wishes to welcome all children without exception: “In Paris, I worked for a long time in the field of disability. I was responsible for a service for children with multiple disabilities. For once , I really want to be able to welcome all children, that is to say even children with disabilities”.
She even noticed that next to her establishment is the Trisomy 31 association. For the entrepreneur, this is an opportunity to create a partnership and tell families that welcoming children with disabilities , “it’s possible”.
Two other ongoing projects
If the first micro-nursery has not yet opened its doors to children and parents, Clémence Despax already has in mind the opening of two additional establishments: “I started with the idea of a small structure with efficient with the idea of opening two or three to ensure the sustainability of the project, but above all to be able to stand out from the big groups.
Two projects are underway: Avenue Louis Plana, in the Roseraie district by 2024 and Rue du Sergent Nicole in the ongoing project in the Jolimont district of Toulouse.
Why open a micro-nursery in Toulouse?
But from the start of the interview, Clémence Despax communicated the observations she was able to make concerning the needs of parents in Toulouse:
I don’t have any figures, but I know that families are not badly looking for crèche places in Toulouse. I worked for a long time in the voluntary sector, I was the director of a crèche. We had huge waiting lists. Not all families manage to achieve this wish, they manage to find childcare, often they lean towards the childminder, but not everyone manages to find a place in a nursery.
Remarks joined by the town hall of Toulouse. Contacted by us, the municipality explained that there is only “never any free places”.
It doesn’t work like a school, there is a constant reversal. There are places that free themselves and others that open up. Anyway, we don’t have too many places. All seats are occupied.”
A situation that is not obvious for young parents, recognizes the town hall. If the demand is not quantifiable, there are a multitude of solutions depending on the municipality. “For young parents, there are childhood info points to learn about the site of the town hall of Toulouse which can reassure”.
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While waiting for her nursery to open on October 10, 2022, Clémence Despax is looking for a CAP Early Childhood. To apply, the entrepreneur can be reached at 07 50 03 41 77.