'The perfect solution': New daycare centre offers extended hours for newcomers
A new daycare centre in northeast Calgary is offering 29 new child-care spaces for children of immigrant and low-income families.
The Immigrant Education Society (TIES) officially opened Little Beginnings Urban Oasis in Whitehorn on Wednesday, with a $2.5-million investment from the federal government.
The centre is for children up to six years old and is unique in that it offers extended hours on evenings and weekends, which TIES acting CEO Suman Khanal says is crucial for newcomers.
"They work off hours like the weekend and evenings and if they had to look after their kids in that time, then they can't work or go to school to learn language skills and labour skills," he said.
"Our intent is to provide those services to parents during those times so newcomers can go through language training or labour training programs or have employment during the evenings and weekends.
"That way, their integration and settlement process will be quicker and easier."
Belinska Viktoriia moved to Calgary from Ukraine last year and has been struggling to find care for her three-year-old daughter Karyna ever since.
"She was trying to find a daycare but this was the first option that was available for her," a translator explained.
"She has been searching and is on wait lists for other child-care spaces but there are no spots."
Karyna is now enrolled at Little Beginnings Urban Oasis, which allows Viktoriia to take classes to learn English.
TIES hopes to extend the centre to 80 spaces in the near future.
Demand high in Alberta: advocates
While the addition of any new child-care centre is welcome news, many advocates say it's a drop in the bucket to meet demand in Alberta.
"Long wait lists have unfortunately been a part of the child-care sector for many, many years," said Susan Cake, Child Care Now Alberta chair.
"We just haven't seen child-care spaces grow with our population at all."
Cake says it's not just the lack of spaces but also a lack of staff.
"We don't have the workforce. We have centres that are closing, unfortunately, in rural areas that need child care because there is no workforce," Cake said.
Many operators have also been vocal against the problems facing the provincial and federal governments' joint program aimed at $10-a-day daycare.
The provincial government recently addressed payment problems that saw operators waiting to be reimbursed but there are still concerns about the program's financial feasibility and whether it's keeping up with inflation.
George Chahal, MP for Calgary Skyview, says problems with the program have been on the provincial government's end.
"I'm hoping they'll be able to support operators and families in the province as we move forward," he said.
"I'm always advocating for further supports of these programs."
CTV News reached out to the provincial government for comment and received the following in response:
"Providing affordable, accessible, high-quality, and inclusive child care is a top priority for this government," said Josh Aldrich, press secretary to the province's jobs, economy and trade minister.
"In addition to the $3.8-billion, five-year, Canada-Alberta Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement, Alberta has committed $1.7 billion over the same period for child care and is on track to reduce child-care fees to an average of $10 a day by 2026."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Here's where Canadians are living abroad: report
A recent report sheds light on Canadians living abroad--estimated at around four million people in 2016—and the public policies that impact them.
'We are declaring our readiness': No decision made yet as Poland declares it's ready to host nuclear weapons
Polish President Andrzej Duda says while no decision has been made around whether Poland will host nuclear weapons as part of an expansion of the NATO alliance’s nuclear sharing program, his country is willing and prepared to do so.
Harvey Weinstein hospitalized after return to New York from upstate prison
Harvey Weinstein’s lawyer said Saturday that the onetime movie mogul has been hospitalized for a battery of tests after his return to New York City following an appeals court ruling nullifying his 2020 rape conviction.
Deadly six-vehicle crash on Highway 400 sparked by road rage incident
One person was killed in a six-vehicle crash on Highway 400 in Innisfil Friday evening.
Invasive and toxic hammerhead worms make themselves at home in Ontario
Ontario is now home to an invasive and toxic worm species that can grow up to three feet long and can be dangerous to small animals and pets.
Central Alberta queer groups react to request from Red Deer-South to reinstate Jennifer Johnson to UCP caucus
A number of LGBQT+2s groups in Central Alberta are pushing back against a request from the Red Deer South UCP constituency to reinstate MLA Jennifer Johnson into the UCP caucus.
Opinion I just don't get Taylor Swift
It's one thing to say you like Taylor Swift and her music, but don't blame CNN's AJ Willingham's when she says she just 'doesn't get' the global phenomenon.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
First court appearance for boy and girl charged in death of Halifax 16-year-old
A girl and a boy, both 14 years old, made their first appearance today in a Halifax courtroom, where they each face a second-degree murder charge in the stabbing death of a 16-year-old high school student.