Gov't waives educational requirement so all daycares in Nunatsiavut can open
2 weeks ago, it looked like most communities wouldn’t have child care
Daycares are opening in Nunatsiavut after fears four of the Inuit region's five communities wouldn't have child care this fall.
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"We're very pleased that we're able to continue a service for children and for the working parents," said Jenny Lyall, the Nunatsiavut government's regional child-care co-ordinator.
The provincial government waived a new educational requirement in Hopedale, Nain and Makkovik so operators could be approved and licences awarded.
The exception was made on the condition that the Nunatsiavut government would implement a training program for staff while operators, or the people running the daycare, work toward their Level 2 in early childhood education.
Hopedale
Registration in Hopedale will take place Monday evening, and the daycare will open the next morning.
Lyall is "pretty confident" the centre will be able to take its full capacity of 14 kids but, she said, it might not happen right away.
We just got to go through some paper process and get them started...- Jenny Lyall
She is in the process of recruiting more staff for Hopedale and Nain.
"We just got to go through some paper process and get them started and be able to run a full service," she said.
Nain
Lyall will travel to Nain and hold registration Sept. 18, with the intention of opening the following morning.
"I'm still not quite sure until I get up into the community, have a good chat with the staff to see what's going on," she said in reference to how many children Nain will be able to accommodate.
It's the largest centre at a capacity of 26 kids.
Postville
Postville's issue is with its building, not its staff.
The daycare doesn't have a sprinkler system and, therefore, can't be licensed.
While the Nunatsiavut government looks into the logistics of getting that fire protection, the community will run an unlicensed facility in the space, which can take four children.
The community has fewer than 10 registered children; the kids will rotate so that all families will receive some child care.
Makkovik and Rigolet
Makkovik opened Friday with 13 registered children.
Rigolet — the one of five communities that looked like it would open — had its first day on Monday.