Le Jardin des Étoiles daycare in Summerside is full, and 100 people are on the waiting list in case a spot opens up, says the centre’s director.
“It is a quite long waitlist, and for a lot of people… I know that I will not have a spot for them anytime soon, or even before their kid’s in school, unfortunately,” said Katera Arsenault, the centre’s director.
Provincial government initiatives have increased wages, allowed centres to accept more kids and provided grants that are helping facilities like Le Jardin des Étoiles expand.
Still, there are almost 1,800 children waiting for a spot, according to a provincial list, far more than the estimated 829 spaces that a spokesperson for the province said are expected to be made available as a result of grants.
“There’s families that have been on my waitlist since their child’s an infant and now they’re in kindergarten,” Arsenault said.
“Those spots don’t open up and there’s so many on the list.”
Waitlists with names into the hundreds are not uncommon for child-care centres on the Island.
Little Ducklings Childcare Centre in Stratford has almost 500 people on its waiting list, said Nicole Ford, the daycare’s owner.
The centre is making use of the province’s programs to add more spots, with 50 already added and 20 more to come, Ford said. But it won’t clear the backlog.
“The additional 20, it helps [those] 20 families, but other than that I don’t think it alleviates the problem,” Ford said.
“This is one centre with 500. I mean, there’s centres all around us and they all have waitlists.”
They’re stuck between do I go make a living or stay home because I have no place to put my child.— Nicole Ford
Without access to daycare for their children, parents are put in a tough position, Ford said.
“We’re getting calls every day still from [parents]… They’re stuck between do I go make a living or stay home because I have no place to put my child.”
In Summerside, Arsenault said she hears similar concerns from parents hoping their child will get a spot at Le Jardin des Étoiles.
“It is a stressful feeling not being able to guarantee that you can go back to work after your maternity leave,” Arsenault said. “So I would say parents are definitely feeling frustrated and stressed that there is no spots out there.”
What’s next?
Improving access to daycare is about more than just taking names off the waitlist, said Arsenault.
“To open more spaces, you need trained staff, so it’s getting people interested in the field that want to work in the field,” she said.
For Ford, zoning issues have created challenges when it comes to expanding.
“It’s great to have the money, but if there is no location to renovate then it’s not helping,” she said.
“The government’s great to offer the grants and the money, which is wonderful. We’ll take it. But we just don’t have the spot to put the money into. That’s the main problem.”
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