After years of planning and construction, Rosetown Kid Kare has officially moved into a new building that expands its capacity and provides upgraded facilities for children and staff.
The centre increased its licensed spaces from 63 to 90, serving children from six weeks to six years, with an additional before-and-after school program for older kids.
“It’s been a long time coming, to say the least,” said assistant director Kayce Lasalle. “There’s been a couple of directors before us that have put in a lot of work. We’re just the ones that got to take it to the finish line, which was the fun and exciting part.”
Lasalle said the demand for spaces rose quickly after the province introduced $10-a-day childcare. “Our waitlist jumped significantly,” she said.
She also mentioned the centre hired staff ahead of the transition, though they remain a couple of positions short of full capacity.
The new facility includes child-friendly washrooms in classrooms, colourful rainbow-themed rooms that track children’s progress through the program, and a kitchen that provides daily snacks and hot lunches on a rotating six-week menu.
“Before we were out of the Civic Center, so that was a public building,” Lasalle said. “It’s definitely nice to be in our own space and have a more accommodating facility for kids.”
She added the design was also meant to build independence. “It’s super cool to see them get their independence too, as we’ve been in the building for a week, and there’s been a lot of kids being able to have a little more independence.”
The project broke ground in May 2020 and is expected to be fully complete, including a new playground, by late September or October.
Community support was key in getting the new centre off the ground, Lasalle said. “We had a lot of community support getting this building up and running. It wouldn’t have been possible without everybody’s help.”
The project is currently 80 per cent funded, with the daycare continuing to seek donations to finish the remaining costs. Contributions can be made in person at the centre, by cheque or by e-transfer.
“There’s no way that we’d be here if it wasn’t for everyone’s hard work,” Lasalle said.
