EXCERPTS
A new child care centre is opening in Penticton.
The Queen’s Park YMCA Child Care centre will open March 4, 2019 and will offer 59 spaces for children aged six weeks to 12 years old. The facility is located next to Queen’s Park Elementary School.
“With a growing demand for quality child care throughout the Okanagan, we are thrilled to be expanding our reach to the Penticton community to help fulfill the child care needs of local families” said Danielle Miranda, general manager, child care for the YMCA of Okanagan, in a news release. “The new Queen’s Park location will offer our Playing to Learn programs, which are unique to the YMCA and designed to ensure a child’s continued enthusiasm and capacity for lifelong learning. Our centres offer small group ratios, providing children both the freedom to explore, and the one-on-one support they need from our skilled early childhood educators.”
The Queen’s Park YMCA Child Care centre will feature indoor and outdoor spaces that use natural elements, including neutral wall colours, wood, plants, stepping stones, paths and more. This will create an engaging, safe space, while inspiring healthy activity, optimal development and encouraging children to explore their individual interests.
As a charity dedicated to helping local children and families thrive, the YMCA of Okanagan provides affordable, safe, quality child care that is accessible to all through its financial assistance program. Qualifying families may apply for financial assistance from the Y and the Affordable Child Care Benefit from the provincial government. YMCA Child Care centres also participate in the Child Care Fee Reduction Initiative. Once the Queen’s Park centre is approved, this will lower the cost of care for all parents.
Following its mission to build healthier communities, the YMCA has been responding to the needs of Penticton for over a decade by providing employment programs and community initiatives, including the YMCA WorkBC Employment Services Centre, Jumpstart Employment Essentials for youth, and Youth Mindfulness groups.
Registration for child care spots is open now. Anyone interested in registering their child should contact the YMCA Child Care division at 250-491-8678 or email childcare@ymcaokanagan.ca.
The YMCA WorkBC Employment Services Centre at 50 Calgary Ave. in Penticton is recruiting for several positions with the Queen’s Park centre, including early childhood educators and before and after school care supervisors. There are 12 to 15 positions open that need to be filled before the centre opens.
Training for positions start in early February 2019.