Big support for Neepawa child care spaces

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Big support for Neepawa child care spaces

Details: Published on Tuesday, December 20, 2016

Photos by Kate Jackman-Atkinson

Back row, from left: HyLife Foods representatives Don Dufort, Darian Major, Denis Vielfaure and Jeremy Janzen; Danielle Arsenault (Budz ‘n Bloom staff), Donna Gork-Todoruk (Budz director), Clair McCannell (Budz board member), Crystal Murray (Budz staff), Marla Steen (Budz board member), Sheila Ducharme (Budz staff). Front row, Budz students: Marley Wilson, Jordie Loewen, Grayson Steen and Ryker Gilbertson

By Kate Jackman-Atkinson

The Neepawa Press/Neepawa Banner

Child care in Neepawa just got a big boost, with two donations from HyLife Foods. With both Budz ‘n Bloom and Neepawa Early Learning looking to expand, on Dec. 15, representatives from HyLife Foods presented both Neepawa-based day cares with a donation of $15,000 each.

Jeremy Janzen, of HyLife Foods, explained that they knew there was a need for more daycare spaces in Neepawa. Both centres presented HyLife with their business and expansion plans and based on those, Janzen said the company proceeded with the donations. “It’s a win-win”, he said, explaining that it helps both their employees, who need child care spaces, as well as the community in general. He added that the donations support one of the company’s core values, community partnerships.

Denis Vielfaure, of HyLife, also offered a special thank you to the volunteers who donate their time to the community and sit on boards. “Communities are run by volunteers,” he said.

The number of children a daycare can accommodate is set by provincial regulators. In Neepawa, as elsewhere in the province, demand for those spaces far outpaces supply.

Donna Todoruk, the director of Budz 'n Bloom Daycare, said that they plan to expand the number of spaces they have for school age children and babies, the two age groups with the biggest demand.

Ultimately, the daycare wants to find an additional space that they can use for school age children and babies. In the short term though, they are looking for a space to rent that will allow them to increase the number of spaces for school-age children, a move that will also allow them to offer more preschool spaces. The centre can currently accommodate eight infants, 32 preschoolers and 12 school age children.

Todoruk explains that none of their school age children will be ageing out next year and they currently have five kindergarten students on a waiting list.

“We don’t have room, it’s hard to tell parents of kids who have been here since they were babies [that we can’t take them],” she said.

For school-age children, Todoruk said that they are looking for a space that has greenspace for kids to play in, two bathrooms, a small kitchenette, is one level and is wheelchair accessible. She explained that if the space will also be used for infants, it has additional requirements, which will take longer to find.

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From left: Jeremy Janzen, Denis Vielfaure, Neepawa Early Learning board president Steven Strelczik, Don Dufort and Darian Major.

Steven Strelczik, president of the Neepawa Early Learning’s board, praised HyLife for stepping up and investing in the town. Neepawa Early Learning is beginning construction of a new day centre, called Little Sharks Early Learning, which will be located at the site of the former Co-op car wash and Access 2 Books.

“[HyLife] understands what a new centre will mean for the community,” said Strelczik. He said that the money will help purchase supplies, such as tables, chairs and appliances. The new centre will be able to care for 49 children– 12 infants, 22 pre-schoolers and 15 school age children– far more than the eight students Strelczik can currently accommodate in his home-based daycare.

Strelczik explains that structurally, little will change with the building, however, a few changes are planned to accommodate the daycare’s needs. They are planning to build two play rooms at the front of the building, in front of where the overhead doors are now. They are also planning to demolish the shed that connects the building to the former Co-op grocery store building. This demolition will allow them to create a green space on the south side of the building that wraps around to the east and west sides. Strelczik added that their location also allows them to make use of the playground at HMK Elementary School during the summer break.

Strelczik said that the process of getting plans approved by various government agencies has been a long road, but said that seeing the project move forward has been worth it. “It’s been amazing… I want to thank everyone in the community for all of their support, it’s been very overwhelming,” he said. Little Sharks is aiming for a spring 2018 opening and a logo contest is still ongoing for the new centre.