Queens County Daycare. Photo Ed Halverson

Queens County Daycare in Liverpool will more than double the number of available childcare spaces over the next year.

The funding is coming as part of the $29 million being invested in childcare across Nova Scotia by the federal government under the Canada-Nova Scotia Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement that will see the creation of 1,500 new childcare spaces across the province by the end of the year.

Chair of the Queens County Daycare Association Scott Christian says the $2 million they receive will bring big changes including the construction of a new wing, renovating the existing building, and hiring new staff.

Once that work is complete the facility can add 49 new spaces on top of the existing 42 (which excludes the eight infant care spaces).

Christian says he has seen a huge shift in attitude from the provincial government around early childhood learning over the last number of years.

“I’m excited that the province is recognizing that it’s their responsibility,” said Christian. “That the education and development of children doesn’t become the province’s responsibility when they’re five-years-old and enter primary, that it’s earlier than that. They want to be part of the solution and so do we.”

Christian says the funding will bring changes to their home in the former Mount Pleasant School that will make it more suitable to care for pre-school aged children.

He says accessible washrooms and a kitchen are at the top of the list of improvements coming to the daycare.

Managing the timeline is key as the plan is to complete construction on the new 3,500 square foot annex so the children can be relocated before renovations begin on the existing building.

“The whole juggling act is that there can be no disruption of services.”

Christian recognizes from coming up with a design to obtaining permits to hiring a contractor, there’s a lot to do in a very short amount of time.

Still, he is optimistic construction will begin in the fall and a fresh group of young people will be joining Queens County Daycare when the work is done.

Reported by Ed Halverson 
E-mail: edhalversonnews@gmail.com
Twitter: @edwardhalverson

To listen to the broadcast of this story, press play below.

Queens County Daycare. Photo Ed Halverson

The Queens County Daycare Association is turning to the Region of Queens for help to keep the doors open.

Association Chair Scott Christian appeared at Region of Queens council to ask the municipality for financial help of $50,000 this year and $30,000 over each of the next three years.

Christian says since taking ownership of the building from the municipality the association has burned through much of their cash reserves.

“We need to figure out how to get some revenue injected into the daycare right now so that we can meet our financial obligations and get the projects complete so that we can expand our services on the infant care side,” said Christian.

The daycare has lost most of the four-year olds who would normally be enrolled to the provincial pre-primary program.

In an attempt to make up for that revenue, the association is building capacity to begin infant care for children 18 months and younger.

Christian says the province has identified the need for those spaces and has contributed $250,000 towards the construction of a new infant care building on the daycare site.

Unfortunately for the association, that construction is over budget and they still need to contend with the upkeep on the old daycare building.

The association went from being a tenant to owners of the former Mount Pleasant school when they bought the building for one dollar from the region.

Christian says the list of repairs included the roof, windows and replacing a collapsed septic field.

Prior to buying the building, the association had $130,000 in reserves, and without additional funding, Christian says that money may not get them through the summer.

Christian says the provincial funding model doesn’t make sense for a non-profit daycare in rural Nova Scotia.

A statement from the department of education and early childhood development says private childcare centres in Nova Scotia have been given access to additional funding since 2017 to help them transition their business model to adapt to the introduction of the pre-primary program.

The province spends $11.6 million each year on professional development for early childhood educators and has provided about $30 million in COVID-related funding on top of about $25 million in regular financial support to childcare operators and staff.

Christian says the daycare is grateful for the support but it is not enough to meet their $400,000 operation costs.

“It just doesn’t make sense,” said Christian. “The numbers don’t add up. We receive $98,000 right now in provincial funding and you’d have to increase that by at least $50,000 per annum for it to be sustainable for us.”

Despite the bleak numbers, Christian says the association remains optimistic. He says the community recognizes the importance of the daycare.

Christian has already heard from some members of the business community who are willing to step up but that they are looking to see the municipality come to the plate first.

Region of Queens Mayor Darlene Norman says council will look into the association’s request as part of their budget deliberations over the next month.

In the meantime, Christian says parents needn’t worry about where they will send their children.

“We’re going to make this work, don’t need to worry about the thing closing. It could close in the summer, but it’s not going to, because the board is going to fight like hell and because something’s gotta give.”

Reported by Ed Halverson 
E-mail: edhalversonnews@gmail.com
Twitter: @edwardhalverson

To listen to the broadcast of this story, press play below.