An east-end daycare is closing after more than thirty years in business. The owners of the Orleans Childcare Centre say all-day kindergarten has decimated their numbers; they can no longer afford to hang on. It is a situation many childcare centres are experiencing.
Uttra Bhargava tears up when she thinks about all the hugs she will miss; the little personalities she has helped shape over the three decades that she and her husband Subhas have run this non-profit daycare.
‘I don’t' want to talk about it,’ Bhargava says, as she looks around her centre, ‘it is very hard.’
Once bustling with children, the centre has seen a steady decline since the province introduced full-day kindergarten; a program the Liberals have championed as a way to help kids and parents.
‘Every year we are losing 30 children,’ says Bhargava, ‘115 to 80, 60 to now 45.’
As the number of children has dropped, the centre's debt-load has risen.
Must be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars,’ adds Subhas Bhargava. ‘We had to draw a line and say enough is enough.’
It's a line daycare centres across this province are drawing as they feel the full impact of the government's policy. As of this September, all schools in Ontario have full-day kindergarten programs. That has meant an additional 200,000 children now going to school full time.’
After 50 years in business, St. Martin's Nursery School in west Ottawa is closing after half a century in business. Here, it is not a lack of kindergarten-aged children but 2 and 3-year-olds.
‘The numbers are low this year for whatever reason,’ says Sheila Kennedy, the director at St. Martin’s Nursery School.
‘I really can’t tell you why, we just don’t know.’
Trisha Ross’ 4-year-old son Jack attends the nursery school, spending half a day in Junior Kindergarten, and half a day at St. Martin’s. Ross says they chose to pay for the program because it’s that good.
‘Jack is in Junior Kindergarten here which means he can go half days with eight children rather than at a public school with 30 kids to a class.’
She and several other parents are mobilizing, trying to save the nursery school from closing December 19th.
‘Whatever we can do, the parents are ready to do whatever to keep it open.’
Back in Orleans, the toys are piled up for sale, the staff has been given notice. Francine Bradt has worked at the Orleans Childcare Centre for twenty-two years.
‘I'm going to miss the children, a lot,’ she says. ‘I raised them for a couple of years
The centre will close next Friday.
