Daycare becomes pre-school due to poor attendance
Barriere Star Journal
Jan 25 2010 
By: Jill Hayward

As of next Monday, Feb. 1, the Barriere Ridge Daycare will no longer be offering its full day child care program for children two-and-a-half to school age. In its place, a part-time preschool program will be offered at the facility.

Yellowhead Community Services (YCS) representative... , says the decision to close the daycare was made due to the continuing low enrollment of children for full day child care; plus the inability to recruit and retain Early Childhood Educators (ECD) to staff a licensed full day child care program….

Unfortunately, with ongoing low enrollment for full day child care; the staffing and program costs far exceed what is affordable. ….She notes YCS considered and assessed the past and present usage of the current facility, and as a result they feel that a part-time preschool program will continue to meet the needs of many of their current client families as well as the community at large….

She clarifies that YCS hopes to one day be able to resume offering full day child care in the community at a time when enrollment numbers have increased and staff are available. YCS has advertised for an ECD educator for two years for Barriere and received no applications, forcing them to bring staff down from Clearwater to run the daycare….