With full-day Kindergarten being offered in schools, the city-run childcare centres may have to take on a different role.
That’s the message the city's manager of recreation and culture, Bev Ball, will be recommending to council within the next couple of months. Officials with Lakehead Public Schools announced last month that full-day kindergarten will be available at all elementary public schools starting next fall.
The expansion comes one year ahead of the Ministry of Education’s plan to have all schools offer full-day kindergarten programs by 2015-2016.
Ball expected about to lose half of the 800 children who use the city run facilities to shift over to the school’s system.
The city operates four childcare centres that offers services for 18 months to 12 years olds and includes programs for toddlers, preschools and kindergarten.
Although it’s a positive for parents to have these options, Ball said the city may have to take a look at what kind of services they are offering.
“It’s a replacement program almost for four and five year olds,” she said. “We need to look at different age groups four childcare and involving them in our programing and what different programming we should be offering to the city.”
Ball added that District of Thunder Bay Social Services Administrative Board was the system provider, not the city.
At-Large Coun. Rebecca Johnson has asked administration during budget discussions what kind of role they would play since schools were essentially taking over the programs the city is already offering.
Johnson suggested that the city amalgamating some of the centres and reduce the numbers that the city has.
“We’re going to be looking after the highest price children meaning babies,” Johnson said.
“That’s where the highest costs come in for day care. It’s not the four year olds. I think we have to offer day care at this point. The school system isn’t picking up the younger children.”
Johnson also wanted to know why the city was paying $50,000 for the grounds when it was DSSAB’s responsibility.
She said they will wait until the fall to see how many children actually go to the school system before deciding if they have to amalgamate any centres.
“If we only have half full over at Ogden for example then why are we keeping Grace Remus open,” she said. “That’s an example. Also, a couple of our day cares are starting to fall apart. Why would we be continuing to keep those open and putting money into it when we don’t have the numbers?”
