All Blacks fullback Israel Dagg and wife Daisy have opened a daycare centre after the birth of their first child Arlo earlier this year. Photo / Instagram
All Blacks fullback Israel Dagg and wife Daisy have opened a daycare centre after the birth of their first child Arlo earlier this year. Photo / Instagram
All Blacks star Israel Dagg and wife Daisy will be hearing the pitter-patter of feet other than their baby's after the childcare centre they co-own opened in central Christchurch.
The couple, who became first time parents when son Arlo arrived in April, decided to invest in the new Moorhouse Ave branch of Co Kids after finding out the company, which has successful daycares in Auckland and Wellington, was coming to the garden city.
Daisy Dagg, who is passionate about healthy eating, first worked with Co Kids when she and Amber Vito - wife of Israel's former All Blacks teammate Victor Vito - helped the company design the sugar-free menu for its North Island centres after co-authoring the cookbook Kai For Kids.
"We are good friends with one of the owners and were having families around the same time," she told the Herald on Sunday.
A group of Wellington dads founded Co Kids, formerly known as i-Kids, in 2005 with the intention of creating a quality childcare option for their own kids.
The company once had another Christchurch centre but had to move out of the city after its building was badly damaged in the February 2011 earthquake and its insurance company went into liquidation.
Steve Piper, one of Co Kids' four directors, said they approached the Canterbury-based Daggs about becoming business partners when they decided to open a new centre there because of their shared family values and knowledge of the local area.
"The Daggs are on a similar journey to the one that the Co Kids established directors have already taken - starting their own family."
Daisy Dagg said Co Kids Moorhouse Ave was "an innovative and modern" daycare that was easily accessible to businesses set up in the rebuilt CBD.
The "modern and innovative" Co Kids Christchurch daycare centre. Photo / Supplied
Her role at the centre involved creating recipes using seasonal produce for the on-site chef to prepare and providing nutritional advice.
"Co Kids is sugar-free which means they don't use processed sugars, so I'm always keeping that in mind," Dagg said.
"I definitely will be taking inspiration from our Kai For Kids cook book over the next few months for new menu ideas."
She said she was currently enjoying being a full-time mum to Arlo, but thought Co Kids would be an "amazing" option when she was ready to put him in daycare.
The "modern and innovative" Co Kids Christchurch daycare centre. Photo / Supplied
The Moorhouse Ave site had capacity for 75 children and already had several enrolled when it opened on Thursday.
The facilities included two age-specific spaces "with natural textures and a peaceful environment" designed to support children's learning and development based on respect and care, Piper said.
"We follow the guidelines from the Emmi Pikler and RIE theories."
The company will host an event at the centre during the next few weeks to celebrate its opening.
