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By Ben Tompkins

Childcare shortages

Multiple organizations hoping to improve daycare availability in Nipawin

Apr 14, 2023 | 3:13 PM

Nipawin council has received multiple requests and applications, from organizations hoping to help end the childcare shortages felt within the community.

The Nipawin Community Daycare Co-operative (NCDC) has requested to enter into negotiations with the Town, for the purpose of buying the building known as “East Pleasantview Community Centre.”

According to the Town, a decision has not been made yet, as it has to be sent to one of the standing committees of council for further discussion.

There is also still some additional information required from the daycare, in terms of completing and reviewing their application.

As for the daycare itself, it currently has 31 families on its waiting list, so it’s hoping to have a decision made sooner rather than later.

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“The local community is in desperate need of extra childcare spots, and to gain the extra space would make a significant difference in the daycare and in the lives of all our parents who are currently sitting on our waiting list,” stated the NCDC on a letter sent to council.

The NCDC also had a recent call from a parent, who is on their waiting list and is employed at the Nipawin hospital.

Because of the long waiting list, she is seriously thinking of resigning from her position to be able to stay home and look after her two children.

“We would dearly love to have the opportunity to support these parents before they make these life-changing decisions because we recognize that these kinds of decisions will impact our local community significantly,” added the NCDC.

“We would be very grateful if council would consider our request. Our long-term aim is to be able to work in partnership with the town to ensure every parent who is in need of a childcare space can be accommodated and given the opportunity to enter into the local workforce.”

Meanwhile, the municipality has also seen an application to open a daycare centre, however, this one would be based inside someone’s home.

Marianna Moga is an early childhood educator and has worked in a daycare for five years.

She has applied for a licensed group home daycare with the intention of helping the community to have enough daycare centers.

“I have a toddler and also struggle to get a daycare when I applied for another working environment, and I feel and experience the frustration of insufficient daycare in the community,” the letter read.

Her home has also already been approved to get a license of 12 spots from the Ministry of Education.

As of right now, the application was approved by council, however, some zoning issues still need to be ironed out.

The Zoning Bylaw has two types of daycares, a family daycare home where the maximum number of children is 8, and a daycare centre in which the maximum number of children is regulated by the Ministry of Education and building and site constraints.

The current 12-spot application would require four parking spaces, but the original site plan provided to council only shows two.

If that plan changes and the conditions are then met, that process will continue to move forward and should be good to go.

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