Strengthening Our Community

Most grown-ups remember visits to the doctor’s office from childhood; the sterile waiting rooms, and that itchy paper on the examination table. Maybe a lollipop, if we were lucky, to smooth things over.

The waiting room at Kids Physio looks a little different. As you come in, there’s a kitchen where you can make toast, and a table for colouring. There’s a small tent to wait inside before your appointment. And of course, there’s Dottie the Dinosaur: Chief Fun Officer and a valuable member of the Kids Physio team.

Clinic owner and physiotherapist Sam Dawe understands that kids need a space just for them. Speaking with Sam, you can tell by her energy and enthusiasm just how much her work means to her.

“Kids are not just mini adults!” She explains. “There are differences in how they are built, how they move, how they behave, and what motivates them. Children are resilient and are primed to learn.”

Kids Physio, which opened last May, has already had almost 1,000 visits, and the team has seen over 250 children at the clinic. Serving kids from newborn to age 18, the clinic has cultivated an environment that emphasizes play and empowerment. Their mission is for kids to 100% recover from injury and reach their maximum physical potential.

Having graduated from Dalhousie University’s physiotherapy program in 2014, Sam moved to northern British Columbia to start her career. While working sole charge at a hospital in the small town of Burns Lake, Sam took on a role working with kids under the age of five years old. Having wanted to work with kids from the time she was in school, Sam says this was an ‘awesome’ opportunity to have in such a small town. She lived there for four years before moving back to Nova Scotia with her husband and then one-year-old daughter.

From there, her work took her to a private clinic in Tantallon where she saw lots of kids. It was while working here that Sam realized that the community needed more.

“We needed a space that was just for kids, not treating kids out of a room in a grown-up clinic,” she says. “I was working with kids and time and time again I would hear how we need this service here, and how other provinces have it and we’re not there yet.”

Historically, Sam explains, it’s been up to families to find services for their kids, particularly those who may require specialized treatment. “Families have actually been leaving the Maritimes for treatment, whether it’s for a week or two weeks, or for a month.”

Sam was following the Kids Physio franchise on social media when the pandemic hit, and she witnessed their rapid growth. “At the start of the pandemic in particular,” she says, “they just did things right, and were growing where other places were shutting down. I was home on maternity leave with my [youngest] daughter at the time—and I was watching as they opened a clinic in Toronto.”

It struck Sam that, “If they can do it, maybe I can.”

Owning her own clinic hadn’t been in her plans. “I never saw this for myself. I never thought I would have my own business. But I felt so strongly about having this service to offer to kids in our province that I thought, if I don’t do it, someone else is going to do it, and I’d rather it be me.”

Of operating as a franchisee, Sam says there was a clear benefit. “I think I could have probably started my own business. The reason I chose to do the franchise route was that it was an established clinic, and a very successful clinic. Their values resonated. And in doing so, I was able to open the clinic a lot faster with their support than I could have done on my own.”

Initially, of course, Sam says there was a ‘humongous’ learning curve, and CUA was there to help, every step of the way.

“This was all new to me. The business loan world, and the renovation world, and the contractors—early on, it was quite overwhelming. And I came across the CUA Small Business Loan Guarantee Program. That’s the one I was eligible for and applied for.”

Working with the Small Business Advisors on CUA’s team made all the difference, Sam says.

“I had the most fantastic experience working with them,” she explains. “They answered all of my questions. Because, like I said, I don’t have a business background. I don’t have an accounting background. I didn’t know much about finances. They walked me through everything, and how to apply. The CUA team never made me feel like I didn’t know what I was doing, and really gave me the confidence to go for it. It was super encouraging.”

Sam’s vision of opening a space ‘for kids’ became a reality last year. As the 12th Kids Physio franchise location (and the first in Atlantic Canada), the clinic includes custom-built monkey bars, a rock wall, and a trampoline. There’s a slide and stairs set that kids can practice on every day, along with scooter boards, swings, and all sorts of toys to play with.

It’s bright, and it’s open. There’s room to run.

“We pride ourselves on making it fun for them. Kids come in and they think it’s a playdate a lot of the time,” Sam says. “It’s such a fun place. We have little kids who ask to come back. We have to find ways to get kids working on what we want them to be learning. But we disguise it as play because that way, they’re motivated, and we have their buy-in.”

Kids Physio will see children for various reasons: the team works with babies who were born with traumatic injuries or brain injuries; kids with genetic disorders, tight muscles, or injuries from the playground or a soccer game. Parents may be concerned about flat spots, delayed milestones, or clumsiness affecting self-confidence, which the team can help with. The clinic’s newly introduced pelvic health physiotherapy even helps kids of all ages with toileting, bedwetting or incontinence, which can be stressful for families. They also run baby groups, which is a great opportunity for parents to chat about their infants’ development.

Sam emphasizes that for families with limited access to the city, Kids Physio offers treatment virtually as well, particularly for those who may live in rural areas and who may not have the opportunity to access similar services. 

The best part of Sam’s job, she explains, is helping families, and helping kids do the things that they find fun. “It’s helping kids play what they want to play, and helping kids be as independent as possible. That’s our goal, at the end of the day. How can they be independent? We want kids to be loved and we want them to feel important. It’s just facilitating that. We want kids to recover from injuries. We want them to meet their maximum potential.”

In the long-term, Sam says establishing strong relationships with existing community groups will be key.

“I think we all, in health care, have a lot of advocacy ahead of us,” Sam explains. “We’re advocating for better accessibility, and more inclusive programs. Halifax already has so many inclusive programs, which is awesome.”

Families can look forward to the upcoming fall when Kids Physio will organize community playdates. Sam says they plan to get families together at the Jumpstart Inclusive Playground located at the George Dixon Centre Park, which are open to anyone in the community.

“It’s this beautiful playground, and it’s fully accessible. So, kids can go on it in wheelchairs, with walkers, and there’s swings that anyone can use.”

Acknowledging that they’ve accomplished quite a lot in the nine months since opening, Sam says she hopes to continue growing and increasing the number of services available at Kids Physio. We at CUA look forward to supporting Sam and her team as they continue on their journey.

“We have lots going on,” Sam says. “And we’re just getting started.”

You can learn more about Sam and Kids Physio from their website.

CUA offers a unique financing program designed to empower small businesses in Nova Scotia to succeed. Learn more about the Small Business Loan Guarantee Program. Call us today at 902.492.6500 or email us at info@cua.com.