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Final survey proves daycare is needed in region
Susan Thompson
for Smoky River Express
A final attempt to determine the feasibility of starting a local daycare has shown a daycare is definitely still needed in the region.
The Smoky Regional Childcare Society distributed the survey in September to make sure a new daycare would be sustainable.
“The reason we are distributing this survey again is because we need some commitment from the region,” day care coordinator Pierrette Boisvert said in September. “The other survey was circulated about one year ago and we need to see if there is still a need for the facility in the Smoky River Region.”
The childcare society wants to be sure any daycare opened in the region wouldn’t need to be shut down again later because of lack of participation, leaving participating parents without childcare.
At least 24 full-time children between the ages of 13 months and five years old are needed for the daycare to be sustainable in Falher.
There were 1700 daycare surveys distributed throughout the region, and the deadline for parents to complete the surveys was Sept. 30. Survey results were compiled on Oct. 1 from the surveys that were returned.
The survey results showed there would be a total of 38 children in Falher and 18 in McLennan in daycare if facilities were available.
“It’s enough to have a daycare in Falher,” says Smoky River Childcare Society President Tina Fournier.
The childcare society and Smoky River FCSS had been concerned they might have had to look at relocating the daycare to McLennan if there wasn’t enough interest in Falher.
Based on survey numbers, the society will now plan on opening a daycare in Falher and then possibly expand to have a second daycare in McLennan.
“We will have to find facilities and apply for another grant for McLennan, but that’s further down the road,” says Fournier. “For now our main objective is to get a daycare open in Falher.”
Most of the parents who responded to the survey they wouldn’t want to travel to another community for childcare.
However, most parents were willing to pay the estimated montly fee of $600 to $650 for daycare services, and would put their children in daycare for more than a year.
The childcare society needed to show the daycare was feasible before being approved for a government grant.
“We’re still waiting for the grant,” says Fournier. Once the grant is received, the childcare can open in the space reserved for it at École Routhier. The school, located in Falher, has moved their Kindergarten class into the main building of the school, creating a space in the playschool building located south of the main school building. High Prairie School Division offered the space at the school to the childcare society at no charge for another year.
Those people who completed the survey will be the first to get spaces once the daycare officially opens.
“The ones who sent in the survey would be priority since they’re the ones we’re basing the daycare’s feasibility on,” Fournier says.
However, anyone interested in putting their children in daycare can still phone to get on a waiting list when the daycare is operational, since some parents may drop out due to changing life circumstances or other factors.
The Smoky River Childcare Society had been searching for more volunteer representatives, but has now been officially registered as a society with the Alberta government.
If all goes well, the society hopes to have the daycare up and running in Falher by January of next year.
For more information, contact Tina Fournier at 837-6154
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