New home for day care
Vernon Morning Star
By Tyler Olsen
July 25, 2007

A month after West Vernon Elementary school students bid their school a tearful goodbye, the building is once again full of laughing, smiling and playful children.

The North Okanagan Child Care Society and its large day care moved into the building over the weekend, shedding the cramped confines of the basement of Beairsto elementary school for the school’s offices and classrooms.

“The building is definitely an improvement because we’re not in a basement anymore,” said society executive director Lynne Reside.

The move is a temporary one but one that has staff and students happy. The society’s Beairsto Child Care Centre had been asked to leave their old location to make room for new classrooms.

With nowhere to go, the school district offered up the recently vacated West Vernon school for the centre’s use over the next year.

Reside said the society received various offers to help house the day care but West Vernon was ideal, not least because of the ample room outside the building.

“That’s the beauty of a school. Lots of people offered up places but the kids really need the outside space for their development.”

Reside’s nine-year-old assistant George Harron was also enthusiastic about what is now called the West Vernon Children’s Centre.

“It’s actually better and, well, some things are better and some things are the same,” said Harron.

“There’s a much bigger office for these office people to have their space.”

And the PA system is also handy, he added: “It’s easier ‘cause now we don’t have to walk a hundred-miles down the hall when we want to call for someone.”

There are still challenges on the horizon and the society must continue to look beyond next year for a long-term residence.

But the new location is providing some breathing space.

“It gives us more time,” said Reside, who credited the community not only for making the transition possible but for helping with the move. “It buys us an extra year to find more space.”

Meanwhile the day care has been able to expand and, when school resumes in September, will have six programs operating.

From 88 spaces prior to the move, the day care has expanded to 137 spaces – which actually provides care for some 170 children. Those extra spaces became possible when the society was granted access to two new rooms.

“It’s just unbelievable so we’re really excited.”

The day care has been able to take children from people who have been on the wait list, including some who have waited as many as four years.

“Quite often people move to the community in the summer and they don’t realize how bad the situation is so we hope we can alleviate it,” said Reside.