Back to school is just around the corner and childcare centers in Morden are at capacity for a couple of reasons, according to Pembina Valley Childcare Centre Executive Director Shuana Richards. 

"The childcare needs in Morden have gone up significantly in the last number of months. It will be two-fold: One, there's more people going back to work now since COVID has ended and then of course, the introduction of the $10/day childcare has really made it much more affordable for families to go back to work. So, our wait list is very high. For our Morden centers, our wait list currently has 310 children. And both of our facilities in town, the Morden site, which is licensed for 112, is full and our Hive site location is 90 spaces and it's full as well." 

Richards noted, someone before the fee change with an infant and toddler in full time care would be paying around $1000 every four weeks, now are paying $200. 

"A lot of our part-time families are actually rolling into full time because they can afford it now. With the two programs currently we have, and them being so full, it's made our school age and kindergarten programs extra full because now we're trying to accommodate those age groups into one space because our Hive site does not have school age. So, we actually weren't even able to meet the needs of all the families already attending our program. We did try to find some other locations so we could try to offer something, but it was very last minute. It's not that easy to get a licensed childcare program just up and running." 

 With that said, PVCC has been named the operator of the 104-space childcare facility on the corner of 19th Street and Dublin Drive to open next year.  

PV Childcare Centre July 2023PV Childcare Centre July 2023

Morden City Council made the announcement Monday night at the public meeting.  

Mayor Brandon Burley has full confidence PVCC is the right choice. 

"They've scaled up before and they're going to do it again. And so, we're proud to be able to award the custody of that new facility and the operation of it to Pembina Valley Childcare Centre. They're a valuable community partner, a necessary one, and they help raise our kids and allow our families to have jobs and better financial security. So, we're very pleased with the way they've operated in the city of Morden. And we're proud to once again be able to turn to them to provide quality childcare support for our families." 

Richards noted, the services offered go beyond quality childcare. 

"The children have all kinds of access to lots of learning materials. Our staff are engaging in learning opportunities every day, all day long. It's not just caring for a child. There's a lot of education that comes through play, and exposure, and the social experiences, and the physical opportunities they're given when they get to come to our program." 

Richards said as kids head back to school next week, families are returning from vacations and space is at a premium. Communication from parents around transition days at Western School Division (WSD) is key. Adding, the ongoing transportation agreement between PVCC and WSD is a huge asset to the families of Morden. 

Kids at PV Childcare Centre

She shared her favourite times with kids in the centers in Morden and Manitou. 

"I actually like mealtimes because everybody's sitting down and you get to have great conversations with the children about what they're doing, what they've done, what they've seen. It's just a nice, relaxed time." 

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