The Kenora District Services Board has agreed to take over childcare programming in Ear Falls.
The Township has been without the service since May when Council decided to get out of the business due to financial constraints.
KDSB Chief Administrative Officer Henry Wall says programming is expected to resume in November.
Wall says they have reached an agreement with the community to operate out of the government building.
He notes they are creating a “community hub” with other child and family programs and services coming into that space.
“Our plan. We’re going to have double the amount of spaces that were there before. This is both with respect to childcare but also with respect to before and after school programs. We are really taking what we’ve heard from families in terms of what the need is and looking at a different financial model.”
The original centre had roughly 12 spaces.
Wall admits the opening of the childcare centre is a bit later then what they had hoped for.
“But just with the pandemic and trying to get everything ready with respect to working with the Ministry of Education from a licensing standpoint. With recruiting and so forth. It has delayed things some what, however, we are confident come November the programs will become operational.”
Wall stresses this is an exciting opportunity.
He notes “Come October 1. We’re going to be opening up the in-take process to start accepting applications from families for children in the program. So things are happening. They didn’t happen as fast as we had hoped but at the same time, I think we can be all be very proud of what will open.”
To hear more from Henry Wall, visit the Audio link below.
