By Justin Dionne

Potential changes coming to Dave Barr Community Centre’s childcare services

Feb 26, 2019 | 3:49 PM

The Dave Barr Community Centre might see some changes to its child care services.

Representatives from the organization brought the proposed changes before a city committee during a Tuesday meeting.

The proposed plan would involve an increase of capacity in how many children the facility can support and an increase in cost for some of the programs.

Financial Business Advisor Shauna Hanson says the increase in capacity would address a need in the community that parents have been vocal about.

“It does reduce a capacity constraint within the community,” says Hanson. “Most organizations in the community that you talk to, they’ll identify right away that they have long wait lists, and there’s children that aren’t able to receive these services. This is really going to add additional room in the community to access daycare services.”

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Dave Barr Community Centre Supervisor Cate Amaro explains the organization is often asked by parents if there are any vacancies for their child care programs. She says there is a particular need for children under three years old.

Hanson presented some different options to the committee which look at increasing certain childcare program fees to the highest price in the community, increasing certain childcare fees to the average price in the community, and the option of keeping fees where they are currently.

Some of the price changes talked about during the meeting involved what the cost differences would look like based on increasing fees to match the highest external price. Those numbers include the Kids Place Daycare Room’s full-time rate moving from $850.00 to $900.00, The Kids Place Pre-K Room full-time rate increasing from $215.00 to $250.00, the Kids Klub After School Care’s full-time rate would jump from $280.00 to $420.00, and that same program’s part-time rate would climb from $120.00 to $180.00. The part-time rate is based on attendance of two days per week.

Hanson says if the changes are approved by City Council, parents who signed up their children this year won’t be affected by the price changes.

“Our Pre-K Program and our After-School Program runs from September until June. We are looking at making the fee increases for those programs as of September first of 2019, so it won’t affect those programs that are already in place,” says Hanson.

Hanson notes that part of the increase in capacity involves turning a spare room in the facility into a toddler daycare which would support up to 12 children from 19 – 36 months old. The addition would call for the hiring of two new full-time positions and one part-time position. She adds more information would become available if council approves the changes.

City Council will be reviewing the plan at a future meeting.