Lack of location forces Kitsilano Daycare to shut down
Vancouver Sun
June 18, 2010
By Denise Ryan

Kitsilano Daycare, … is being forced to close its doors on Aug. 31, leaving 25 kids and their families stranded.

The original plans for a bright, shiny new Neighbourhood House that includes 15 units of subsidized housing for seniors did not include a provision for the daycare centre that has shared its space since 1982.

After the community and funding agencies reviewed the plans and requested that the 25 daycare spaces be preserved, Kits Neighbourhood House revamped plans.

A total of $750,000 was earmarked for a new daycare, operated and administered by the Neighbourhood House. Pre-construction begins in September, and the project will take time….

"Originally, our hope was that we provide those 25 spaces and find another location so we could have an increase in total spaces on the west side," said Catherine Leach, executive director of KNH.

There will be no net gain of spaces, said Violet Ledingham, …Ledingham said that after three years of searching, Kits daycare cannot find an appropriate space in the neighbourhood….

"We've had meetings with the premier," said Ledingham. "He met with us, met with the parents, said that he didn't want to see the daycare closed."

Other than words of sympathy, Ledingham said they've had no help from Victoria.

Market value rent on the west side for the kind of space they need runs between $4,000 and $7,000 -- way beyond what a fee-for-service daycare can afford.

"There's a perception that daycare spaces on the west side are not needed, that everyone is rich," said Ledingham. … Ledingham said there are only 1,500 spaces available for 6,000 preschool-aged children on Vancouver's west side. Two of her families will be commuting with their kids to east-side daycares in September.

Pam Best of the West Coast Family Resource Centre said that 2006 census data shows the biggest gap between need and spaces is still on Vancouver's east side, which is more densely populated with children under 12.

East or west side, "there really is no money being put into child care anywhere," said Best….