Day-care shortage has parents calling for in-school option
Vancouver Island News Group -- Nanaimo News Bulletin
24 Apr 2007

A day care shortage has parents with children at Mountain View elementary school scrambling.

They're lobbying the school board to allow them to set up a before and after school day care program at the school.

Parent Jennifer Merner said the idea for a school-based program was started several years ago and the need for the service has since been exacerbated by some family-based day-care centres in the area closing.

"Our school is in particular need of this before and after school care program and it is parent driven," she said, adding Mountain View, with 375 students, is one of the areas in the district where declining enrolment is not an issue.

"The program would only be able to accommodate 20 to 25 students and we've had about 70 parents express interest."

Merner said parents have found a provider willing to set up service and the space in the school for the program - there are three classrooms where the program could be held, as well as the multipurpose room.

But school district staff recently sent Merner and her group a letter declining their application.

Mike Munro, school district superintendent, said district staff are working on a list of guidelines for approving childcare centres operating out of school facilities.

He said there have been several applications to start up day cares in schools by private providers and the school board has not talked about what those services should be, the quality of service and the procedure for accepting day cares in schools. Establishing a standard policy is key.

"We are looking at some interim guidelines right now," he said, adding they could be ready for approval as early as next week.

A dozen or more elementary schools have such a program in place already, and Munro said the money the district makes from renting the space is minimal.

He would like the district to look into raising rates so more money can be put back into the facilities these outside groups are using.

Jamie Brennan, school board chairman, said he hopes the program will be up and running next fall.

"It's one of the neighbourhoods in the school district where there are children, so that's encouraging," he said.

"The discouraging part is when parents are strapped to find good childcare in the area."