Our History
TOPP KIDS was never meant to be “just childcare.”
It was built on the belief that the hours before and after school matter deeply. That these are not simply transition hours in a child’s day, but powerful moments where confidence is built, friendships are formed, passions are discovered, and children begin shaping who they will become.
Founded in 2010 by Leslie Topp, TOPP KIDS began as a passion project grounded in heart, community, and a deep understanding of children. After more than 25 years working in Early Learning and Child Care, Leslie saw firsthand what happened when children were given the freedom to play, explore, imagine, move, create, and truly belong.
She believed children learn best when they feel safe enough to be themselves. Curious enough to explore. Supported enough to take risks. Seen enough to grow.
That belief became the foundation of the TOPP KIDS philosophy and eventually grew into the model that still guides us today: PLAY, GROW, LAUGH & LEARN.
What started as one small school program quickly became something much bigger.
Families were searching for more than supervision. They wanted connection. They wanted programs that their children were excited to attend. They wanted environments that felt warm, engaging, creative, active, and alive.
And children responded.
TOPP KIDS became known for building spaces where kids could move, lead, create, imagine, problem solve, build friendships, and develop life skills in ways that felt natural and meaningful. Long before many organizations were talking about emergent curriculum, physical literacy, social emotional learning, or child voice, these ideas were already becoming part of the culture inside TOPP KIDS programs.
Then, in 2012, everything changed.
After Leslie was diagnosed with Lupus, her son Cody Topp stepped in to help carry the vision forward.
What followed was not just growth. It was transformation.
With a relentless focus on quality, innovation, culture, and leadership, TOPP KIDS evolved from a growing family-run organization into one of Alberta’s most recognized names in school age care. Systems were strengthened. Standards were raised. Teams were empowered. Programs expanded. Communities grew.
But through all of it, the heartbeat of the organization stayed the same.
Family.
Connection.
Community.
Children first.
Under Cody’s leadership, the vision became bigger than opening new locations. The goal became helping redefine what Out of School Care could look like across Alberta.
TOPP KIDS pushed forward with a different approach. One that blended high-quality care with leadership development, physical literacy, STREAM programming, creativity, inclusion, mentorship, and strong relationships. One that believed educators deserved opportunities to grow too. One that refused to accept that school-age care should simply meet minimum standards.
The organization grew because families believed in it. Schools believed in it. Communities believed in it.
Today, TOPP KIDS is recognized not only for the programs it operates, but for the leadership it brings to the broader Early Learning and Child Care sector.
Cody is a proud member of the Alberta Leaders Caucus (ALC) and currently serves as Chair of the School Age Care Directors Association of Alberta (SACDA), hosts Canada’s largest school age care conference, and founded Lights On Afterschool Alberta, a movement helping raise awareness for the importance of Out of School Care programs across the province.
That same commitment to growth and impact led to the creation of the ELCC & Community Development Education Centre, designed to support educators and organizations through professional development, mentorship, leadership training, and shared resources.
It also led to the evolution of the TOPP KIDS Foundation, the organization’s non-profit arm focused on strengthening communities, increasing accessibility, supporting future educators, and helping raise the standard of care across Alberta.
From one small program to a growing movement reaching thousands of children and families, the story of TOPP KIDS has always been about more than expansion.
It is the story of a family vision that became a community movement.
A story built on resilience, heart, innovation, and the belief that children deserve extraordinary spaces to belong.
And in many ways, we are only getting started.
Our Growth
What began in 2010 as one program built to support a single school community has grown into one of Alberta’s leading Out of School Care organizations — rooted in a simple belief: children deserve a place where they can truly PLAY, GROW, LAUGH & LEARN.
Our first TOPP KIDS location opened at Prince of Wales School in response to a growing need for high-quality before and afterschool care. What started as a small community-driven program quickly became something bigger. Families connected with the vision. Children found belonging. Educators found purpose.
By 2012, the momentum continued as we expanded into St. Philip Fine Arts School, laying the foundation for what would become a movement focused on reimagining school-age care across Alberta.
In 2013, TOPP KIDS launched its first Summer Camp program and expanded into North Calgary with a new location in Coventry Hills School. From there, growth accelerated year after year — not through chasing numbers, but through building relationships, trust, and programs families genuinely wanted to be part of.
New communities joined the TOPP KIDS family across Calgary and beyond:
- Maple Ridge School in 2014
- Evergreen School in 2015
- Copperfield School in 2016
- Holy Child School in 2017
- McKenzie Lake School in 2019
- Bayside School and St. Mary’s School in 2022
- Auburn Bay School in 2023
- Silver Springs School and Bridlewood School in 2024
- Rosemont School, Meadow Ridge School, and Heritage Heights School in 2026
Today, TOPP KIDS supports more than 1,800 families annually through multiple Before & After School Clubs and Kindergarten programs across Alberta — and we are only getting started.
What makes this journey meaningful is not simply the number of programs we have opened, but the communities we have helped strengthen along the way. Every new location represents families supported during critical hours of the day. It represents children building confidence, friendships, leadership skills, creativity, resilience, and a sense of belonging. It represents educators’ growing careers and finding purpose in a field that shapes future generations.
As we continue entering new communities, our vision has grown far beyond traditional childcare.
Through our work with the TOPP KIDS Foundation and the ELCC & Community Development Education Centre, we are helping shape the future of school-age care by investing in professional development, leadership training, emergent curriculum practices, inclusion, physical literacy, STREAM programming, and sector advocacy across Alberta.
We are proud to work alongside organizations and institutions such as the Government of Alberta, AECEA, SACDA, Mount Royal University, Bow Valley College, Portage Colleger, S.A.I.T. Polytechnic, and others to help elevate quality, accessibility, and awareness surrounding the importance of Out of School Care.
The next chapter is already underway.
As TOPP KIDS continues expanding across Alberta, our mission remains the same as it was on day one: to create spaces where children feel safe, inspired, empowered, and connected — and to build a new standard for what school-age care can become.
Read our 2020 State Report!
