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Daycare Relief Fund

Cameco relief fund ‘a huge encouragement’ for Nipawin Daycare Cooperative

May 1, 2020 | 3:03 PM

As the COVID-19 pandemic and Saskatchewan’s State of Emergency caused businesses and schools to close doors, the Nipawin Daycare Cooperative locations remained open but much emptier.

The Nipawin Daycare Cooperative sites – one at Ninth Ave W that holds up to 61 children and another at Central Park Elementary School that holds 14 – an average day of taking in 45 children suddenly dropped to around 20.

With fewer children learning and playing and 12 fewer staff members due to layoffs from a lack of revenue, the announcement from Cameco on May 1 that Nipawin Daycare Cooperative was one of 67 community projects they’d send relief fund to was more than welcomed.

“I can’t even begin to thank Cameco for the grant… it’s a huge encouragement for our staff, children, and parents,” Nipawin Daycare Cooperative’s Director Michelle Blanche told northeastNOW. “It means we can bring in new activities. It’s going to be a very long summer for a lot of these children, so this is great news for them.”

Blanche said Nipawin Daycare Cooperative will receive $6,600 from Cameco. Since the State of Emergency, the daycare has only been able to bring in children whose parents are working at Nipawin Hospital or other essential services.

However, Blanche said they’ve had parents who had to take their children out of daycare inquire about open spots in the future, as they prepare to re-enter the workforce during Phases One and Two of Re-Open Saskatchewan.

“As the numbers increase, we’ll look at bringing staff members back,” she said. “We’ve already brought two staff members back because numbers are starting to increase. Bringing the rest of the staff back depends on how many children we get over the next month or two.

“It’s going to be a gradual increase. It would be great to have them all at the end of the month… but I foresee it’ll be over the next three or four months. Hopefully by the fall, God willing, when the children go back to school, we’d be looking at having full staff again.”

Blanche thanked Cameco and the rest of Nipawin and area for helping keep the daycare operational during the COVID-19 pandemic.

aaron.schulze@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @SchulzePANow

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