Families throughout Squamish are facing a potential childcare crisis as two infant daycare programs are eliminated in an overhaul to the Sea to Sky Community Services (SSCSS) childcare programs provided at its Early Learning and Child Development Centre on Second Avenue.
"These services depend, for the most part, on childcare fees with little additional outside funding," stated director of early child development service Suzie Soman.
"Fees consequently have continuously been on the rise to try to maintain service. However, we find ourselves at this time in the difficult situation of no longer being able to sustain the same level of service."
Approximately a dozen families are losing their infant and toddler care, some of which is subsidized for low income families, due to serious funding challenges, according to a SSCS press release.
"As you can imagine, dealing with funding concerns has been challenging and has necessitated that management make some difficult decisions," stated SSCS executive director Lois Wynne in a press release.
SSCS is also planning to lay off staff, although the exact numbers are still being worked out, according to Wynne.
"We will have some lay-offs in those programs," said Wynne. "We are a unionized shop so people will be able to exercise some other rights within their collective agreement. I don't know what that's going to look like yet, we're still working through that."
Eliminated as of June 30 are the Teddy Bears program for infants four to 18 months and the Bumble Bees program for children 18 months to three years old. Both programs ran from early morning to late afternoon weekdays and offer limited subsidies for low income families.
"It's the program that's the hardest to staff," said Wynne. "It's a smaller [staff to child] ratio, so it's a more expensive program."
In addition to infant and toddler program elimination, the full day Bear Cubs childcare program also ends August.
Bear Cubs have options however. The two-and-a-half to five-year-old children can join the Dragonflies pre-school program, which will be expanded beyond its current schedule, according to the release.
"We are hopeful however that this restructuring will provide the security needed to ensure the ongoing viability of childcare services," said Wynne.
"We especially want to thank all of the families that are accessing programs through SSCSS. Your patience, support, understanding and commitment to staff and services are appreciated and we hope that you will continue with us long into the future."
An information session for parents affected by these changes is being planned and will be announced in coming weeks, states the release.
Soman is also meeting with parents on Wednesday (May 19) to help them find options through the SSCSS childcare resources and referral program.
Those with immediate questions or concerns are asked to contact Lois Wynne at 604-892-5796, local 222 or [email protected].
