Growing community will continue to need more childcare spots
Parents and caregivers in East Selkirk will have some additional childcare options with the opening of the East Selkirk Early Learning Centre on Quarry Road.
“We are very excited to be here today for the grand opening of the East Selkirk Early Learning Centre. On behalf of our board, staff, families and myself, I would like to express our gratitude for being named the operator of this beautiful facility, said Laura Barthelette, Director at Hand in Hand Daycare opening the event.
This new care facility is very needed in the growing St. Clements community as is evident by their current waitlist of over 200 children before the facility has even opened.
“It’s an exciting time to be an early childhood educator, the opportunity for growth within the sector is ever increasing and the recognition that families cannot work and our economy cannot grow unless we have trained, qualified and dedicated staff to care for the children is becoming increasingly evident. We have a ways to go yet but I believe the sector is finally on the right path,” said Barthelette.
MLA Jeff Wharton then stepped up and acknowledged the importance of frontline staff in facilities like this one.
“This an exciting day for St. Clements and our community. And first of all, I wanted to thank you and all our frontline staff. As we talked about earlier during the tour, it’s important and you have the job to ensure our kids are looked after as we continue to grow our economy because we know a lot more families moms, dads and partners are working to ensure that they can continue to meet the affordability challenges that we face today,” said Wharton.
Before discussing the history of this facility’s construction Mayor Debbie Fiebelkorn said, “We built something beautiful for our children.”
She said that the journey towards this facility began in 2021 when the Manitoba government and the federal government signed an agreement to provide affordable $ 10-a-day regulated childcare spaces for children under six years old within five years.
“It’s about providing our children with the best possible start in life. This project helps as we’re contributing 74 new childcare spaces right here in our community. Our journey began on Sept.13, 2022, when we passed a resolution to provide two acres of Service land for this childcare center,” said Fiebelkorn.
She described the project as a shining example of what can be done if all levels of government work together.
“It was truly amazing to watch how quickly it was constructed and the quality of the work performed. On behalf of the RM of St. Clements and council, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to everyone who has contributed to this project. Your hard work and dedication have made this day possible. So please join me in celebrating our children’s future. May this new center be a place where they learn, grow and thrive,” said Fiebelkorn.
The center is still looking for employees who would like to be part of this new facility’s future. To learn more about this opportunity visit https://mccahouse.org/job/hand-in-hand-daycare-inc-east-selkirk-mb-ece-ii-or-iii
