Bonnyville Daycare Growth is a Positive Sign

Daycare expands with nearly double numbers in 6 months

Executive Director of the Bonnyville Daycare, Kim Harvie, spoke to Bonnyville Town Council on Tuesday evening with an update on the daycare, as well as a request to expand. The daycare has grown nearly double in the past six month, Kim says it’s a positive sign of the times; that people are going back to work and are finding work.

The need to expand comes from the daycare growing from 25 kids on October 1st to 39 currently and 45 enrolled for April. There are nine kids on the waiting list and the daycare would like to accommodate them. “The daycare is growing very quickly,” explains Kim, “in a nutshell, we don’t have enough space.” The daycare is operated out of the Parent-Child Centre, which is also home to the Boys & Girls club and FCSS. “There is a room at the Parent-Child Centre that is being used partially by FCSS through the Parent Link program,” Kim explains there is a vacant room that is only utilized 25 percent of the time. The room is there for overflow, should a larger than expected group turn out for the Parent Link program.

There is no way of knowing whether or not the room will be used, explains Kim, “if we have too many parents come for the Parent Link program, they will filter into that room to accommodate. That doesn’t happen very often. The room is also used for some meeting in the afternoon or evening.”

“The Parent Link program is very important, but we think we could utilize the room for a greater amount of time than it’s being used right now,” Kim suggests there are other areas for overflow; including the Boys & Girls Club, which is not used during the day. “We don’t want to turn away any of our families.” Kim says the daycare is willing to share space and make sure it works for all the groups that use the Parent-Child Centre.

Town Council agreed that there was a need to expand the daycare immediately into the vacant space, as well as start discussions on long-term plans; especially considering the daycare is growing at such a large rate.