Bonnyville Approved for $25/Day Daycare

Province announces 22 Daycare Centres in pilot project.

The Bonnyville & District Day Care Centre has been named as one of 22 daycare facilities  in the Province of Alberta’s $25 a day program. The $10 million pilot project, which was announced in November, will commence on May 1st.

The Bonnyville & District Day Care recently spoke to Town Council about the possibility of being approved for the program. At the time, Daycare director, Kim Harvie, said the program would be “huge” for the community. The Daycare was in front of Council to discuss expanding into some under utilized rooms, as it was growing steadily even before the announcement. Harvie said at the time that should the approval come down they were expecting a major increase in numbers.

The Daycare grew from 25 kids in October to 45 in April and is expected to continue its growth with the approval of the pilot program, with 68 spaces approved for funding. Some ways the facility plans to accommodate the increase is by offering earlier morning and later evening hours, as well as weekend programming. There is also talks of hiring additional staff, should the need from the community warrant it.

The $25/day program is expected to launch May 1st. For more information on the Daycare contact Kim Harvie at 780-826-2101 or online, bonnyvilledaycare.ca.

The 22 centres approved for the pilot project are:

• Bonnyville and District Day Care Centre, 68 spaces
• Willow Lake Tiny Tots-Caring for Kids, Anzac, 30 spaces
• Banff Child Care Centre, 40 spaces
• CFS Parent/Child Learning Centre (Louise Dean), Calgary, 60 spaces
• EvenStart Early Childhood Development Centre, Calgary, 30 spaces
• Hillhurst-Sunnyside Daycare Centre, Calgary, 82 spaces
• Little Sundance Child Care Centre, Calgary, 60 spaces
• Thornhill Child Care Centre, Calgary, 88 spaces
•  Kids Campus Daycare Society, Camrose, 75 spaces
• ABC Headstart (program name to be determined), Edmonton, 36 spaces
• Africa Centre Childcare and Early Childhood Program, Edmonton, 40 spaces
• Bissell Centre Child Care Centre, Edmonton, 71 spaces
• Intercultural Child and Family Centre, Edmonton, 63 spaces
• Oliver Centre Learning Programs for Children and Family Society, Edmonton, 40 spaces
• A Child’s World Day Care Centre, Fairview, 61 spaces
• Grand Prairie Children Demonstration Preschool, 28 spaces
• Lac La Biche Little Sprouts Child Care Society, 81 spaces
• Opokaa’sin Child Care Program, Lethbridge. 53 spaces
• Sugar Plum Tree Daycare, Peace River, 96 spaces
• Provost Daycare Society, 34 spaces
• Westlock Community Daycare, 77 spaces