SEVENTEEN SPACES OPENING AT GATOR PARK CHILD CARE CENTRE

More child care spaces will soon be available for Regina families. The Government of Saskatchewan announced approval of 17 new child care spaces for Gator Park Child Care Centre in Lakeview. The child care centre is expanding and they expect to make the new spaces available this fall.

"Children aged 0-6 learn and develop at an incredible rate. As parents, we have the pleasure of nurturing that development personally and through the caregivers we choose," Community Resources and Employment Minister Joanne Crofford said. "During Child Care Week especially, we take time to thank those caregivers – including early childhood educators like those who work here at Gator Park. It is a pleasure to help them announce their expansion."

"There are lots of young families coming to Lakeview, and we've been getting more calls from interested parents, so the time is right for us to expand," Gator Park Child Care Centre Executive Director Elaine Fisher said. Fisher says her staff is another reason for the centre's popularity. "Parents tell us we've got a good crew here and we really appreciate our staff. We try to hire qualified early childhood educators who believe in quality child care and programs that are fun, age appropriate and developmentally appropriate."

The 17 new spaces at Gator Park Child Care Centre are just some of the 500 new non-profit child care spaces planned for Saskatchewan in 2005-06. Half of the new spaces are part of Child Care Saskatchewan's five year initiative to add 1,200 new child care spaces between 2003 and 2007. The other 250 are based on the federal government's $22 million commitment to early learning and child care for 2005-06.

In addition to adding new child care spaces, the Government of Saskatchewan recently announced plans to use some of the federal funding to address the child care wait list for children with a high level of special needs, increase child care subsidies by an average of $20/child/month for qualifying families, and increase wage grants for early childhood educators by three per cent.

These initiatives are just the beginning of the province's plans to expand early learning and child care in Saskatchewan. The Government of Saskatchewan signed an agreement in principle with the federal government on April 29th, 2005, and plans to develop a made-in-Saskatchewan system designed to suit the needs and preferences of families in the province. As plans progress, the province is continuing to listen to parents, early childhood educators, First Nations and Métis agencies and many other stakeholders in Saskatchewan communities, to ensure the new system will meet the needs and preferences of Saskatchewan families.

Gator Park Child Care has been operating for five years and is affiliated with Turtle Park Child Care, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year.

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For More Information, Contact:

Leila Dueck Community Resources & Employment Regina Phone: (306) 787-0246