'It seems like a nightmare': Parents seek answers on Calgary daycare closures

Parents scrambling to find child care after three facilities were shut down unexpectedly this week are looking for more answers on what caused the closures and why a preschool program is still approved to go ahead at one of the locations this fall.

The licences of Little Scholars Greenview, Little Scholars Daycare ECS Ltd. and Little Scholars Daycare Inc. in northeast and northwest Calgary were revoked by the province Monday due to safety concerns described as an "imminent danger" to children in the programs.

The closures impact nearly 300 children and 70 staff.

"It's just something we never thought we'd have to deal with, like where do our children go the next day?" said Clara Dawson, whose son and daughter attended one of the child-care programs.

"It seems surreal. It seems like a nightmare."

The programs were already operating under probationary licences before the closures that were set to expire at the end of August but were cancelled on Aug. 12 after monitoring revealed "ongoing concerns and increased risk."

The Ministry of Jobs, Economy and Trade, which oversees child care in the province, isn't releasing the list of non-compliance concerns, citing the daycares' decision to appeal, however, recent inspections on the province's child-care lookup tool revealed issues related to the use of physical restraint, confinement or isolation, a lack of child supervision and staffing-to-child ratios.

The news came as a shock to Dawson, who never had any concerns with her daycare and wants more clarity on why the facilities were shut down without notice to parents.

"There was nothing that would alarm me enough that I wouldn't feel safe taking my kids there," she said.

"I really appreciate there is a regulating body for child care because there can be so many bad instances when regulations are not in place but how it was handled and carried out was very shocking and traumatizing for all the families involved."

Dawson has found temporary child care but said the list of options given to parents by the province included daycares in Lethbridge and Edmonton, which wasn't all that helpful.

"I struggled and called around everywhere close by. There are a couple of options we have at least but I would say we're one of the lucky ones because a lot of other family friends we talked to, parents, they still don't know where they are going to go."

Other parents have expressed relief to CTV News that the program has been shut down, citing concerns with high staff turnover, the number of staff per child, that some issues about their children weren't reported to them and issues around how their children were treated.

Confusion over preschool program approval

Parents are also looking for answers after learning the Ministry of Education gave the green light to a preschool program to operate in the fall, just four days before the licence of the child-care program at the same facility was revoked by the Ministry of Jobs, Economy and Trade.

The letter, dated Aug. 8, said a comprehensive review of Little Scholars ESC Ltd.'s program took place between July 15 and 26 to determine whether the organization could provide appropriate programming for children, including those with disabilities or delays.

"Department staff have determined that Little Scholars ECS Ltd. is in compliance with most of the relevant legislation, regulations, policies and standards and will be approved to operate in the 2024-25 school year," it said.

The letter goes on to say the department will help develop an action plan to address programming and operations that were identified as deficient.

"It's all really confusing. Did something happen specifically this week at a specific location or both locations?" Dawson said.

"If it's a blanket closure, how come a kindergarten program and potentially full-day program can potentially be approved? It's just contradictory, so like, what are we supposed to believe?"

A statement from a spokesperson for the Ministry of Education to CTV News said the early childhood services program is independent of the child-care program.

"In Alberta, ECS programs are overseen by certificated teachers and as such, the staff responsible for the Little Scholars ECS program is not the same as the staff responsible for the licensed child-care program," it said.

"Currently, Little Scholars ECS program is not operating due to summer vacation. When it reopens in September, Alberta Education staff will be onsite to monitor Little Scholars ECS Ltd.'s programming and operations to ensure compliance with all requirements of an ECS program, including children's safety."

The president of the Child and Youth Care Association of Alberta and the program co-ordinator for Child Studies at Mount Royal University says the confusion reflects why all child-care concerns should be under one department.

"I absolutely think there's room for improvement. I think it should all be under education. Early childhood education and child care is all about education and learning and it should be under education," Michelle Briegel said.

She says given the programs were already under probationary status, the closures suggest there was a larger issue at the centres.

"It wouldn't be an easy thing to close it, so it would have been a compilation of a number of infractions and likely a deeper-seated concern going on," she said.

"There's more going on in terms of their ability to meet the standards, or their understanding of meeting the standards or their desire to meet the standards."

The owners of the program have said they plan to appeal the closures and believe they are being unfairly targeted because of their and their staff's cultural backgrounds.

Concerns about child-care programs in Alberta can be reported to Child Care Connect by calling 1-844-644-5165.