Capreol parents fight loss of day care centre

Some parents in Capreol are heartbroken that a day care which has operated in the community for the last 17 years has lost its contract with the school board.

At a recent meeting, about a dozen people concerned with the loss of the Learning Hearts Day Care gathered at St. Mary's School to try and come up with ways to keep using the same service provider.

For years, the centre operated out of St. Mary's, which has closed as part of the Catholic school board's school review process. About 60 spaces are opening at C.R. Judd Public School in Capreol, but Learning Hearts lost out in the tendering process to another local provider, Our Children, Our Future.

That has many in Capreol wondering what the change will mean for them. Julie Crabbe has two young children – ages 12 months and five years -- in care, and says she and her children have grown attached to the staff. And Crabbe says they offer the intangible services she and other parents have come to rely on.

“My shifts are random, and I get called in,” Crabbe said. “This is one of the only day cares, in the whole city almost, that can accommodate my shifts.

“And they were willing to take my son, even though it's not an infant day care, as long as he was able to keep up with the toddlers. Most day cares won't do that.”

Her daughter got a head start on school thanks to the staff at Learning Hearts, she said, and she's willing to fight to try and maintain the continuity of care she has come to rely on.

“I live closer to C. R. Judd, but I'd rather bring them here,” Crabbe said. “I know the people here and they really took good care of my daughter.”

“We're all very personally attached,” agreed Laurie Larose, whose son, 4, and nephew, 5, are both enrolled at Learning Hearts.

“They've been (helping) raise my son since he entered day care, and my nephew, as well. (Her son) Alexander's vocabulary is well advanced. I would say he's at a Grade 1 level or even Grade 2.”

Norm Blaseg, the Rainbow Board's director of education, said he sympathizes with the parents who are upset about losing Learning Hearts as their day care provider. Finding a day care they have confidence in is a major issue for all parents, he said.

“And I get that,” Blaseg said. “People don't like change to begin with, right? You build up a loyalty.”

But he said the board has a tendering process that evaluates bids on a number of criteria, including price, financial stability and a track record of being able to provide quality service. Each bid is evaluated on a points system, and the bid that gets the most points normally wins the contract.

“When we put out a tender, obviously, we're looking for one of the lowest bids, we also look at their financial background, and at their history – their ability to provide the service over the long term ... So there are a number of factors.”

This is a new contract for the public board, since most of the spaces used to be at St. Mary's, a separate school. That meant the contract would be tendered, and in the name of fairness, more subjective factors, such as the parents' attachment to the current provider, weren't part of the process.

“Our tendering process doesn't really allow for (those sorts of considerations.) Typically, we're trying to bring the best value for all the areas.”

However, parents can expect to get the same service, Blaseg said, adding that Our Children, Our Future has a good track record in the city for delivering care.

“Once parents and kids become oriented with the new C.R. Judd Day Care, I'm sure they will be just as happy,” Blaseg said. “But as I said, nobody likes change.”

Ward 7 Coun. David Kilgour, who attended the July 24 meeting in Capreol to discuss the closure, said Learning Hearts was a victim of the changeover from the Catholic to the public board.

“I empathize a lot with the people here, and if I were in their spot, I would be just as upset as they are,” Kilgour said.

All he can do as a councillor, Kilgour said, is to ensure a fair and open process was followed when the contract is tendered. Assuming that's the case, he said they need to ensure they have the support of most of the parents who brought their kids to Learning Hearts last year.

“The big concern, as I mentioned at the meeting, is they have to see what kind of support they have among the parents,” he said. “If they don't have the backing, then they're not going anywhere.”

Larose said the next step is to talk with those parents to ensure they have their support, and then investigate options on where Learning Hearts could operate – whether it could stay at St. Mary's, or whether another location would be feasible.