Client Stories
Close Enough to Matter: How One Parent Story is Helping Bring Families Back into the City
When Kids on Collins first came to us, they weren’t just asking for a video. They were looking for a way to reconnect — not just with parents, but with the city itself.
Like many centres in Melbourne’s CBD, their model had always been about location. They offered high-quality care right where parents worked. For years, that meant less time commuting and more time with your child, even during the day.
Then everything changed.
Hybrid work meant fewer people in the office. For many parents, it meant longer stretches at home. And over time, the city started to feel distant, even optional. So did the idea of choosing a childcare centre close to work.
But here’s the thing: when proximity disappears, so do possibilities.
That’s what we set out to show:
A Day in the Life That Changed the Conversation
We met Felicity, a parent who works across the road from Kids on Collins. Her story isn’t loud or dramatic. It’s quiet. Grounded. Real.
She talks about walking her son to the tram in the morning. Getting him settled. Grabbing a coffee and heading to work. She describes the ease of waving to him from the office window. The joy of popping in during her lunch break. The peace of knowing she can be there in seconds if he needs her, and he knows it too.
That sense of closeness has changed everything.
It meant she could keep breastfeeding while returning to full-time work.
It meant her son settled faster, with fewer tears and more confidence.
It meant she could work late without racing across the city in traffic or worrying about delays.
And it meant that instead of ending her workday in guilt or rush, she could finish it in presence.
There’s no frantic handover. No late pickups. No tension between who she is at work and who she is as a mum.
She even brings him over to her office sometimes, introducing him to colleagues, letting both parts of her life meet. It’s small. But it matters.
More Than a Video: A Strategic Tool for Business Leaders
This video was never just for parents. It was also created as a strategic resource for the companies nearby.
We worked closely with Kids on Collins to design it as something that could be shared with HR teams, People & Culture leads, and team managers in the surrounding towers. Because while those teams are trying to bring people back to the office, many are struggling, especially with parents who’ve found new rhythms at home.
This video helps change that conversation.
It doesn’t push or sell. It simply offers something honest and useful:
“Here’s a real story from a parent who made it work — and who wouldn’t want to go back.”
By including it in onboarding emails, sharing it with parents returning from leave, or using it in conversations about flexible work arrangements, businesses now have a way to genuinely support working families.
And that makes a difference — not just for retention, but for trust.
What Felicity Found (And What She’s Avoiding Now)
Here’s what Felicity gains every day by having her child close to work:
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More face-to-face time in the morning and during the day
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Reduced emotional load — less separation anxiety for her son and for herself
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Freedom to work late or flexibly without racing against the clock
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Real-time reassurance — she can visit, check in, or respond instantly
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Shared experiences — bringing her son into her workplace world
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No commuting panic — no wondering if she’ll make it in time for pickup
And just as important, here’s what she no longer has to deal with:
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Long gaps between drop-off and pick-up
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Stressful mornings trying to coordinate multiple locations
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Feeling torn between being a present parent and a competent professional
All of this adds up to something powerful: a working life that feels more human.
Designed to Last. Built to Connect.
Because this testimonial is real and specific, it doesn’t age. It doesn’t rely on buzzwords or policy changes. It’s an evergreen piece of content that Kids on Collins can use again and again across seasons, campaigns, and conversations.
It’s already sparked responses. Not just emotionally, but strategically. Centre leaders, parents, and HR teams alike are starting to see things differently.
A Final Thought
If you’re a centre trying to reconnect with working parents, or a business trying to support your team in returning to the office, the answer might not be a policy. It might be a story.
One that shows what’s still possible when care and career live close together.
Let’s talk if you’d like help telling that story.