But for Francie Trajkovski, the concern was particularly great because her daughter, Tanya, has special needs and can't work or be by herself all day.

When Ms. Trajkovski started looking for a safe place for her daughter, there was nothing suitable out there, she said.

"When she was 18 I started researching to see what was out there," she said. "What I saw horrified me."

Ms. Trajkovski decided to take matters into her own hands. After completing a government-funded training program that helps aspiring entrepreneurs start their own businesses, Ms. Trajkovski opened Tanya's Place, a day program for young adults with disabilities. That was four years ago and it's been "awesome" since then, she said.

Tanya's Place, located at 230 Harwood Ave. in Ajax, offers a day program from September to June for young adults with disabilities. There is also a summer session for those 13 and older and "Super Saturdays" where youth come in for games, crafts and fun, Ms. Trajkovski said.

The programs attract 20 to 30 young adults each day and participants enjoy a wide range of activities, from learning carpentry skills to tri-weekly aerobics classes.

"Everything we do has to encompass mind, body and soul," Ms. Trajkovski said.

The teens and 20-somethings do projects where they analyze the news together. They put together a fundraising show each year they perform for their parents and the community. They also tackle life skills like grocery shopping.

Dianne Birrell's daughter, Sarah, is 29 and has been at Tanya's Place for four years. Before Sarah started going to Tanya's Place she had a one-on-one support worker. Ms. Birrell said having a worker was expensive and didn't give Sarah the social opportunities a group program does.

"We were ecstatic when Francie opened (Tanya's Place)," she said. "I thought: finally, an age-appropriate program with variety."

Another great part about the program is the great communication between parents and staff, she said.

Leanne MacEacheron is still in high school but she goes to the summer session and on Saturdays. Her mother, Helen, said the best part about it is how much her daughter loves it.

"It's important for your child to feel good about herself," she said.

The business has been so successful and the need is so great, Ms. Trajkovski said she is opening another location in Oshawa at the Midtown Mall.

And she said she isn't planning to stop there. Her next step might be to consider franchising her idea, as long as the quality of programming would stay the same and it would remain affordable for families, she said.

"I have been bombarded by calls from York, Toronto and even the U.S.," she said.

For more information on programs call Ms. Trajkovski at 905-686-9532.