Parents begin day-care shuffle because of school closures
Coquitlam Now
June 1, 2007
By: Simone Blais
EXCERPT

Parents with children in Seaview Day Care are on the hunt for child care and wondering if there's now a shortage due to school closures.

Port Moody resident John Taylor says he enrolled his three-year-old son, Trevor, in the day care located in Seaview Elementary in April because it was within walking distance of the family's home.

But the Taylors are trying to figure out what their options are, since School District 43 informed the day care that it would not be able to renew its contract, which expires in June.

"Trevor just loves it because he thinks he's going to school. He's going to be devastated when he finds out that he's not going there any more. I actually haven't told him yet," Taylor said.

"There's nowhere else that we can take our kids. I've called a couple of child cares in the area and they all have long lists."

Rosemary Nelson, who owns and operates ...Day Care, said she found out in March that she wouldn't be able to occupy Room 8 in the school at the end of the contract...

While the school would normally have room for the additional students and the day care, Nelson said, Seaview is scheduled to undergo a seismic renovation -- and classes will be juggled as different parts of the building are under construction.

She asked whether she could rent a portable to place on the school grounds, but modular buildings would take approximately eight months to secure and there has to be available land on the site. She was told there is no room at the front of the school to accommodate a portable.

Nelson also inquired about renting space in the soon-to-be vacant College Park Elementary.

"They say they don't want to just rent one classroom, and I understand their point," she said. "But the children of Port Moody need a place to go.

"It's getting really difficult to find child care with the lack of facilities.

"I'm really concerned about this closing of day care for three- to five-year-olds."

Melissa Hyndes, District 43 school board chair, said it's a difficult situation as child care falls under provincial jurisdiction.

"Child-care facilities are businesses, and we're not in the business of child care. Having said that, we do the best that we can to accommodate the child-care facilities in our district," she said, adding that staff has been "working with all the child-care providers affected by the school closures and accommodating them in other schools.

"Everybody cares about child care, and the school district knows how important it is for parents to have safe and caring places for their children to go while they're away. As much as we accommodate them and try to look after them, it's not in our mandate."

The catch-22 doesn't alleviate Taylor's concern.

"I have nowhere to take Trevor. Rosemary's moving to Coquitlam as a last-ditch resort, and I'll probably follow her, but I'm hoping it's a temporary thing, just until I find something," Taylor said.

"Ideally, I'd like him to be way closer than that. It would be another hour out of my day to get him to and from Coquitlam."