'All these families are now scrambling': Gimli parents concerned about policy changes to child care
Parents in Gimli who rely on child care before and after school are sounding the alarm over policy changes coming in September.
At the start of the new school year, Gimli Children’s Centre’s School Age Program will only take 30 students in kindergarten up to Grade 4 – which means those starting grades 5 or 6 in September will no longer be eligible to receive the care they used to.
“All these families are now scrambling, trying to figure out what they’re going to do with their nine, 10, 11-year-old kids that have been in the centre since they were a year old,” said Kevin Peters, a parent of one of the students impacted.
Peters’ son Aron has been enrolled in the centre since September 2014. Since he’ll be 11 years old in June, come September, he’ll no longer be part of the School Age Program.
“I know my wife and I, we’ve lost a lot of sleep trying to figure out what we’re going to do come September,” he said.
In an email sent to parents, the children’s centre’s director said the School Age Program is at max capacity and recommended starting a search for alternative care.
According to Peters, there isn’t any time, or other option.
“The next closest daycare is one that’s full down in Winnipeg Beach or Arborg,” Peters said. “There’s the odd private one, and those even have waiting lists.
“There’s just no spaces available.”
According to the email, the policy change comes as the Evergreen School Division moves to a full-day kindergarten model.
“Now these families are being put in a position of having no childcare and it’s through no fault of the childcare program,” said Jodie Kehl, executive director of the Manitoba Child Care Association.
Kehl said concerns lie around a lack of consultation, and conversations, “Should involve the Province of Manitoba and they should involve early learning and childcare, they should involve families.”
While Aron only had one year left under the program, Peters said he’s worried about other families in the neighbourhood.
“This is going to affect parents for years to come,” he said. “And I hope parents that are affected by this policy – not just this year, but in coming years – will step up and maybe bring about change.”
CTV News reached out to the Evergreen School Division and Gimli Children’s Centre but hasn’t received a response yet.
In a statement, Education and Early Childhood Learning Minister Nello Altomare told CTV News: “We are reaching out to the facility to see whether there are solutions that would permit existing families to continue receiving care.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Ontario's 'crypto king' Aiden Pleterski arrested
Aiden Pleterski, the self-proclaimed 'crypto king' from Whitby, Ont., has been arrested in Durham Region after allegedly running a Ponzi scheme worth more than $40 million.
DEVELOPING Slovakia's populist prime minister shot multiple times in attempted assassination
Slovakia's populist Prime Minister Robert Fico is in life-threatening condition after being wounded in a shooting after a political event Wednesday afternoon, according to his Facebook profile.
BREAKING Barge hits a bridge in Texas, damaging the structure and causing an oil spill
A barge hit a bridge in Galveston, Texas, on Wednesday, spilling oil into surrounding waters and closing the only road to a small island, officials said.
Person responsible for 1996 drugging of 'Titanic' crew likely not a local: Halifax police
Halifax Regional Police believe a non-resident could be responsible for the infamous drugging of numerous crew members of the 'Titanic' movie with a hallucinogenic in 1996.
Latest updates on the biggest wildfires burning in Canada
Thousands of people in Western Canada remain displaced from their homes as wildfires threaten their communities, triggering evacuation orders and alerts.
OPINION Your attention span is shrinking, studies say. Here's how to stay focused: Sandee LaMotte
Regaining your focus requires you to be mindful of how you are using technology -- a daunting task if you consider the average American spends at least 10 hours a day on screens.
If you've tried meditating but can't sit still, here's how - and why - to try again
The first time Marcelle Hutchins sat down to meditate, she put on a guided session, relaxed her shoulders and tried to close her eyes. She lasted two minutes.
BREAKING Quebec court rejects McGill injunction request to remove encampment
A Quebec judge has rejected McGill University's request for an injunction to remove the pro-Palestinian encampment on the university's campus in downtown Montreal.
Ottawa to acquire Quebec Bridge from CN, will spend $1 billion on span over 25 years
The federal government says it has reached a deal with Canadian National Railway Company to acquire the historic Quebec Bridge.