The public was recently given an all-access pass to Morden's newest daycare facility, Westview.
About 20 families - kids and parents - were able to explore all eight of Westview's rooms, ask questions of staff and board members and enjoy snacks prepared by the in-house cook during an open house last week.
Site manager, Nancy Davison, said, because the centre is still so new, everyone commented on how bright and fresh it is inside.
"All the families loved all the windows we have. We have a huge backyard and the whole back of our building looks out onto that backyard, and the train track is back there, so that's an attraction for the children as well."
People also liked how each room is different.
"So, you're not just seeing the same thing in each room you go through," added Davison. "Each room is set up with different toys, different equipment. There was just lots to see."
A waitlist in the hundreds
The daycare is currently operating with two infant rooms and two preschool rooms. Davison's hope is to have all three infant and five preschool rooms, with a capacity of 140 childcare spaces, open within a year.
However, she says they need more staff trained in ECE II before they can hit that mark. The Assiniboine College's accelerated ECE diploma program, starting in January in Morden, will help, according to Davison, who says three of her staff will be attending.
"Even though I've filled so many spaces in the past two months, it seems every day our waitlist still grows," she said. "I think families are hearing that we're opening more spaces and there's more childcare options, so they put themselves on the waitlist."
As of interview time, that waitlist was up to 359. That included four families who added their names to the list after the open house.
"There's some days where I get excited because I take about ten names off, but the next morning I come in and seven more have been added," Davison further explained.
Family vibes
Since opening just a few short weeks ago, Davison says the kids, parents and staff have almost become their own little family.
"The kids are so excited to arrive in the morning...the first few days there was some apprehension but now, they're running in, and I even had one kid (say) 'come on Mom! Hurry up! Let's go!', and the mom commented that it was one for the record books because he was actually excited to come in."
While she loves hearing about how the kids want to come back every morning, Davison says she also likes to hear families' appreciation for getting a spot at the centre.
"Now they don't have to juggle their lives around to figure things out anymore. They can just drop their kids off, know that their safe and go with the rest of their day. We've also had some families who weren't working and when I called them (to offer them a spot), they were like, 'I can finally go get a job. I can finally start working'."
Westview was built in Phase 2 of the Ready-to-Move Child Care Project as part of Manitoba’s Action Plan under Canada-Manitoba Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement, and is the fourth location for Pembina Valley Child Care Centres Inc.
With files from Robyn Wiebe