FALL RIVER: Parents who have children under three-years-old that attend Fall River Childcare Centre are upset and outraged at the provincial government for what it appears to be as working against the owners of the business.
According to owners Molly Rogers and Lindsay Awalt, the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development’s decision to not issue any new licenses for the next six months, despite repeatedly telling them to not sign a funding termination agreement and forfeit any funding from the government, is the last straw for the business financially. If they were to sign the agreement, it would allow them to receive a license and operate with children from 18 months to 12 years.
But they were told not to sign that agreement and wait for a memo with more information on Oct. 15 about the Canada-wide plan. That memo came out and at the bottom states there will be no new licenses issued for six more months.
“They told us to wait, and then sealed our fate for the next six months,” said Rogers.
Basically, that means that effective immediately they can not offer care to any children under the age of three-years-old. With this move, it means that the centre lost 85 per cent of its enrollment.
Awalt and Rogers, along with two employees delivered the news to parents of those with children under three during a Sunday morning meeting at the business, located below Good Day Café in Fall River.
The two enthusiastic diligent workers said they have been in contact with MLA and Advanced Education Minister Brian Wong before the meeting. He had a previous commitment so could not make the meeting.
Federal MP Darrell Samson has also been in touch, although this is fully a provincial issue, he is staying on it to see how he can help the two out.
“For me, the biggest deal is that I’ve been without child care since June. I’m an essential worker,” said Jennifer Hilchie to The Laker News. “The government has done nothing to help me get child care. Now they’re shutting down my child care facility.
“I think the biggest message is that I’d rather have $40 a day childcare than $10 a day in 2026.”
Hilchie said with no childcare that means she’s back to taking her child to work with her every day.
Wong, the Minister of Advanced Education, said he’s been advocating for the Child Care Centre and has had several conversations in regard to their situation trying to find out what is happening.
“The bottom line for me that is that I see two entrepreneurs trying to run a business and I see parents that in need of child care. We desperately need child care in Fall River,” said Wong in a Nov. 8 interview. “It appears to me there was a lot of miscommunication that’s been going on. I’m right now trying to figure out where those communications have broken down.
“I’m doing everything I possibly can to keep this business open and to get child care for Fall River parents.”
He said part of the problem appears to be some of the promises were made through verbal communication, and there wasn’t a lot in writing so that’s hard to sort out.
“I need to try to figure out what’s in the best interest of the business owners and in the best interests of parents,” he said. “If I can get the department to show a little bit of flexibility, then I think it can benefit everybody. But the bottom line is, we need child care here and we don’t have enough of it.”
Kayla Kearney, who’s son Ari attended Fall River Childcare Centre, can’t believe the predicament the province has put Rogers and Awalt in.
“I’m absolutely outraged,” said Kearney.
She just recently started a permanent position at the IWK, and fears that may not be in jeopardy because of the province’s decision that eliminates the childcare centre from caring for her child who is under three.
“I’m not really sure how, whether or not, my work is going to continue to keep me knowing that I’m going to be off now to stay home with my child,” Kearney said.
Awalt said it was the department’s idea for them to lower their age range.
“It seems like the department makes decisions, and the consultants and licensing officers who we have direct contact with daily don’t know what’s going on and they are also blindsided,” added Rogers.
Asked how the two of them are doing, the looks of red eyes and sleeplessness was very evident in their faces.
“I haven’t slept like in a few days,” said Rogers. “It’s hard to function thinking about losing our business. This is essentially the last straw.”
Wong did say the Child Care centre accepting children for an age group it didn’t have a license for does create a bit of a problem, although the owners were only doing so because they had been advised they would be approved.
He said there does seem like there was a lot of confusion.
“When the universal child care was coming down, there was nobody really who knew what the agreements between the federal government and the provinces were going to look like or be defined as,” he said. “I think they may have been caught in the crossfire with two elections, provincial and federal coming back to back.
“However, that’s no reason for entrepreneurs not to be supported and parents to be left in the lurch.
“We do have to figure out what’s in the best interests of everybody.”
Parents went to the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development on Monday morning requesting a meeting with education minister Becky Druhan or those officials who make the licensing decisions. As of 1 p.m. Nov. 8 no meeting had occurred.