Kochi native Liyana Hanan found herself struggling to balance work and care for her infant daughter, Naila, when she returned to her MNC job in Infopark after maternity leave. Rather than letting the difficult phase overwhelm her, the 29-year-old turned it into an inspiration and launched what is now emerging as Kerala’s first community-focused co-working and daycare space for parents.

Named ‘Cubs & Co’, the premium daycare integrated with a co-working space was launched in April at Thrikkakara in Ernakulam.

“I have seen many mothers give up their careers because they find it difficult to manage work and childcare. I wanted to create a space where parents can work peacefully while their children are cared for nearby,” Liyana says, adding that the space is designed for both mothers and fathers. A B.Com graduate and ACCA-qualified professional, Liyana was working at Ernst & Young in Infopark when she married Roshan, a Kannur native who also works in Kochi. The couple welcomed their daughter in 2024.

After maternity leave ended, managing childcare without family support became increasingly exhausting for the couple. Hiring domestic help also proved difficult due to their location in Vennala. “We kept adjusting our work schedules so that one of us could always stay with the baby, but over time, it became extremely tiring. We realised many parents around us were facing the same issue,” she says.

Though initially hesitant about starting a business, Liyana says Roshan strongly supported the idea. The couple later pooled investments with a few friends and set up the facility in Thrikkakara. Architect Hiba, a mother from Kozhikode, also contributed to designing the parent-friendly space.

'Cubs & Co' currently houses a co-working space, daycare centre, community hall, kitchen, baby café, and feeding, food, and diaper-changing areas. The facility can accommodate around 30 to 35 children.

The daycare accepts children aged between three months and four years, with a focus on routines, play and social interaction rather than academic pressure. The centre also offers flexible plans, allowing parents to use daycare, co-working, or both. Children can be dropped off for a few hours, half a day, or longer.

“Parents also need time for themselves. They may want to watch a movie, go for a drive or simply take a break, and that’s okay,” Liyana says.

Just a month after launch, Liyana says the response has been encouraging. Many parents have shared how the space helped them work without guilt or constant stress. “The children are also getting community exposure and learning to socialise without anxiety. My daughter Naila now gets excited to come here every day and has become much more independent,” she adds.

For Sruthi Sadanand, founder of a FoodTech company in Kochi, Cubs & Co offered something many working mothers struggle to find: a guilt-free, stress-free environment where both work and parenting can coexist.

“My daughter Aarya is just three years old. When I first heard about Liyana’s space, I wanted to experience it myself, and I ended up loving it,” Sruthi said. “Since I run a remote-working company, I can work peacefully from the co-working space while my child is cared for at the daycare. It is one of the most thoughtful spaces I have experienced as a working mother.”

According to Sruthi, every aspect of the facility reflects careful planning. “From wooden, curiosity-driven toys and open play areas to calming nap zones for children, everything feels intentionally designed. At the same time, the co-working space offers focused workstations and private cubicles for meetings.”

“What stands out is that both the child's world and the mother's world have been given equal importance. That is rare. It truly feels like a place where mothers can focus, create, work and simply breathe, while still being close to their little ones,” she added.