New Daycare facility feasibility in region

Emily Plihal
Smoky River Express

Economic Development Officer Dave Kane and Smoky River FCSS director Penny Fox have been working hard to determine the feasibility of a new childcare facility in the region.

A meeting was held on April 7, to see if local residents felt there was a need for a new daycare or day-home in the area.

“Lorraine Rose from Safe Haven Day Homes in High Prairie was at the meeting last week,” says Kane. “She holds the license currently operating two of our local day homes, one in Donnelly and one in Jean Cote.”

Kane says a small group was formed at the meeting to look into the various opportunities there are within the Smoky River Region for alternative childcare. They will also be questioning local schools and businesses to see if there is room to be rented for a daycare facility. He explains there was once a proposal from Fox to see if the old wing at the Sacred Heart Hospital could be used as a daycare, but no response was given.

“Child care is not something that can be taken on by an FCSS office or Economic Development, as it is overseen by the Child and Family Services authorities,” says Fox. “However; we decided to be proactive and to gathered information and shared it with everyone interested. This started the discussions about the gaps in services in our region.”

Since mid-year 2008, Family and Community Support Services (FCSS) Director Penny Fox and Smoky River Economic Development Office Dave Kane have been educating themselves on the feasibility of new child care facilities. Currently there are only two licensed child care facilities in the entire Smoky River Region.

Fox and Kane began to work on the project because families had been approaching them saying there was not enough child care programs in the area. There were daycare facilities in both McLennan, Falher and Girouxville at one time, but all have been closed. With a noticable demand for child care services, Kane and Fox assembled a survey which was given to people from surrounding communities to fill out.

“One thing is obvious,” says Fox. “If something is going to happen, it is going to take time, commitment, and hard work. The government is not going to provide it — it has to be created by the community, for the community.”

“There was one person who may be interested in starting a childcare facility,” says Kane. “If anyone is interested in joining the planning committee for childcare services they can call me at 780-837-2364 or Penny at 780-837-2220.

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