….On Aug. 31, after 12 years in business, Ladysmith Children's Centre will shut its doors permanently….

Early childhood educators are hard to come by and without them, … is forced to close her operation.

Making matter worse for Ladysmith parents is that … the only licensed group day care in town. The next nearest facility is about 15 minutes north, in Cassidy. The five Ladysmith licensed family day cares cannot accommodate as many children as group centres….

She has struggled for three years, trying to retain staff, who either choose to work part-time or switch fields altogether.

…advertised an opening at her centre for a month this summer. No one responded, bringing … to the sad conclusion her business was in jeopardy.

"The situation has been like this for a long time," said ….

The problem, she says, is a lack of qualified workers and poor wages.

…said she would love to pay her staff $20 an hour, a wage she says they deserve, but notes it would be impossible without passing the cost onto her clients.

"I pay better than average but it's quite poor," she said.

The province says it is working without $152 million annually due to the federal government's cancellation of the former Liberal government's Early Learning and Child Care Agreement. Ottawa's new Universal Child Benefit provides $100 per month per child every month to parents.