Calgary, AB,
25
October
2017
|
10:49
America/Denver

Celebration of Early Learning and Child Care Centre in Manchester

Calgary Housing Company (CHC) and The City of Calgary are celebrating the grand opening of an Early Learning and Child Care Centre (ELCC) at Lumino South, a City-owned affordable housing property in the southwest community of Manchester.

Thornhill Child Care Society operates the Centre, serving 84 children including CHC tenants and families in the surrounding area. Through the provincially-funded ELCC, Thornhill provides care for children up to six years old with maximum fees of $25 per day.

“The day care in Lumino South brings quality, affordable child care within reach for CHC tenants and many other families in the community,” says Sarah Woodgate, the Director of Calgary Housing and President of CHC.

“This is important to our children, and just as important to the workforce and society as a whole. Affordable child care allows parents to go to school or work; improving themselves and improving the situation for their family,” she says.

The Government of Alberta announced in April that the Centre was part a project to provide supports for children with diverse needs and implement an early learning child care curriculum.

“When we drop our kids off at daycare each day we expect that they will be given the nurturing support they need to grow and thrive. That’s why I’m so proud that our government is making quality child care available to parents at Thornhill for no more than $25 a day. Our government is focused on making life better for families, and making child care more affordable is a key part of that work,” says Hon. Danielle Larivee, Minister of Children’s Services.

The collaboration transforms 4,000 square feet of space into a child care facility. Thornhill, a not-for-profit child care provider, offers supports in the Centre targeted to single parents as well as indigenous, immigrant, and refugee children.

The City and CHC collaborated in 2016 to assess community needs with residents indicating access to affordable, quality child care was a priority.

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