Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound MPP Bill Walker held a zoom conference yesterday to make an announcement for local childcare.
Walker was joined by provincial Minister of Education Stephen Lecce, who revealed the government is allowing the Bluewater District School Board to proceed with a tender for a new childcare space addition to the Spruce Ridge Community School in Durham. Lecce says the province will be investing 1.5 million dollars toward the new space.
"The investment is going to create 39 new childcare spaces that's going to benefit hardworking families who really depend on access to affordable and accessible childcare, and the truth is we have, in this province, still work to do to make childcare more accessible and more affordable."
MPP Bill Walker says in a release from yesterday the news of a brand new childcare space coming to Spruce Ridge Community School is great news for families in Grey County. Grey County Warden Selwyn Hicks says the new childcare spaces will create more opportunities for families in the area to access safe and high quality licensed child care.
"Expanding access to childcare is important as we watch our communities grow just like in Durham, and these new spaces will make it easier for families to find the care they need so they can be active in our local workforce."
Warden Hicks adds that this will also greatly benefit local children and the workers who care for them in the new space at Spruce Ridge Community School.
"Licensed childcare also ensures our childcare providers and the children they care for have access to resources and supports helping them to develop, learn and get off to the best possible start in life."
The new addition to Spruce Ridge Community School will feature 39 childcare spaces and 2 new childcare rooms. Minister Lecce adds that this is one of many projects for childcare that the government has promised to help develop.
"From modernizing our curriculum to revitalizing our classrooms and their facilities, we are investing in our students and giving them every tool to achieve their full potential,” Lecce says. “Progress towards the construction of the child care centre addition Spruce Ridge Community School further demonstrates our government’s commitment to making child care accessible and affordable for working families.
Minister Lecce also briefly commented on progress with the Beavercrest Community School in Grey Highlands. Lecce says the school template was approved at the end of last year and the government is working towards approval to tender that project this year.
In regards to Spruce Ridge Community School and the new childcare addition, Bluewater District School Board Chair Jane Thomson says the board is extremely excited.
“We are thrilled to receive this exciting news that the Ministry of Education has given approval to move forward with a tender for a new child care addition at Spruce Ridge Community School,” says Thomson. “The ministry’s commitment to expand upon the existing program delivered by Durham Kids & Us, by increasing the number of child care spaces in a state-of-the-art new addition, will provide more and better opportunities for our young children and future students. We are extremely thankful to the ministry for supporting and recognizing the child care needs of our local families, and look forward to collaborating further with our child care partners as this project proceeds.”
The zoom conference hosted by MPP Bill Walker was joined by Stephen Lecce, the provincial Minister of Education, Selwyn Hicks, the Warden of Grey County, Christine Robinson, the Mayor of the Municipality of West Grey, Lori Wilder, the Director of Education for Bluewater District School Board, Tracy Lynn Atkinson, the Area Trustee for the Municipality of West Grey/The Town of Hanover and Jane Thomson, the Chair of the Bluewater District School Board.
