Jubilee Heritage Family Resources, a childcare centre located
in downtown Sudbury, will receive up to $250,000 from the
Ministry of Children and Youth Services to fund 34 new
aboriginal childcare spaces.
"It's exciting. This is going to be an excellent opportunity
for the community," said Eve Kremyr, executive director of the
centre.
"As an agency, we already work with the aboriginal community
with respect to a nursery school and this is going to open it
up for all the community to get to know the aboriginal people
better," she said.
"It's going to give them the opportunity to learn about their
customs from elders and work with aboriginal staff."
The ministry received 23 proposals, which were assessed by the
Provincial Aboriginal Working Group in August. Proposals were
reviewed based on criteria including need, history of
operation, proposed budget and the ability to meet time lines.
The working group endorsed nine proposals representing more
than 300 new child care spaces across the province for
Aboriginal children up to six years of age.
"We are thrilled to be chosen to run the daycare," Kremyr
added.
"We're finding that in the community there is an interest (in
aboriginal day care). People are using mainstream daycare
centres but they would be very happy to come to a centre that
is integrated with their own culture as well.
The centre has until the end of March to get the new daycare
up-and-running. Renovations will be made to the toy library
space downstairs at the Applegrove St. building to accommodate
the 34 new daycare spaces.
The ministry will provide an additional "$7,500 per new child
care space" to support operation costs of the new spaces
developed. Operating costs include fee subsidies for eligible
parents, wage subsidies and special needs resourcing
supports.
"We will be looking for aboriginal staff who will model for the
children," Kremyr said. "Depending on enrolment, there will be
at least four staff people hired."
The introduction of the new daycare means that Jubilee's family
resource centre will move to St. Francis school, where it will
become a Best Start hub in that particular neighbourhood in the
spring of 2008.
The aboriginal daycare will be affiliated with the aboriginal
hub located at the Better Beginnings, Better Futures site on
Morin St. Jubilee staff will work in partnership with the
neighbourhood hub association, as well as the city and the
Shkagamik-Kwe Health Centre.
Kremyr said Shkagamik-Kwe Health Centre, which is just down the
road from the Jubilee centre, has had long-term working
relationship with the organization.
"They originally asked us to provide child care when they had
workshops. And that's evolved into a parent support group where
we provide the child care," she said.
This "really good connection" to the Aboriginal community is
likely a compelling reason why Jubilee was chosen by the
ministry to start up an Aboriginal daycare.
In all, Jubilee will be running two hubs and a series of
daycare centres, including those at Sudbury Secondary, St.
Albert, MacLeod, St. Francis, in addition to the new aboriginal
daycare that will be at the Applegrove site.
"If parents are interested in an Aboriginal program now, we do
have nursery school on Tuesday and Thursday afternoon," Kremyr
said.
Parents are encouraged to enroll their children in the
Aboriginal nursery school while they wait for the daycare
spaces to come available in the spring.
