children playing

Prince George parents line up overnight to register for childcare at new lac des bois family development centre

Printer-friendly versionSend by emailPDF version
Author: 
Waters, Shannon
Format: 
Article
Publication Date: 
7 Nov 2016
AVAILABILITY

 

EXCERPTS

The YMCA of Northern BC's newest childcare facility has had a huge response from local parents.

Director of Child Care Services Lynette Mikalishen says the Lac Des Bois Family Development Centre was packed this morning.
"We actually had parents sleep over since 10 o'clock last night in line for the infant toddler spaces. That was a little bit of a shock for me this morning to know that they'd been there since that time. I arrived at 6:30 am for a 7:30 opening registration and the lobby was full."

The facility is offering a total of 81 new childcare spaces ranging from infants to 12 year olds.

Mikalishen says many parents were looking to enroll more than one child to make pick-up and drop off easier.

"The other piece that's so wonderful when they start as infants and toddlers is they get to know the people in the 3-5 room before they move into that age group. There's just a real a sense of family. The same is true when they head off to school - they just transition so smoothly."

She says the huge amount of interest in the new program shows just how deep the demand for quality child care is.

"For parents it really is the opportunity for them to know that their children are in a safe, quality care environment with trained educators and they're able to go back to their jobs with a lot less stress in their life, that's for sure."

There are still some spots available for preschoolers and 3-5 year olds and wait lists are being taken for the infant toddler and after school programs. Interested parents should contact the YMCA for more information.

-reprinted from My Prince George Now