It started with a leaky roof at the Bradford Progress Childcare Centre’s East facility on Graham Sideroad, said Executive Director Kim Cullen.
“A leaky roof is what led us to a full renovation."
The 37 year old centre was closed in March of 2018, to carry out the roof repairs and other renovations that ended up including the replacement of the windows, installation of new health and safety features, and new accessible doors and ramps.
The centre received tremendous financial support, Cullen said, through a generous $331,205 federal-provincial ELCC grant to create the six new infant care spaces, and provincial health and safety funding of $232,360 that helped address every safety issue and concern.
Walls were opened up to create the infant care space and a bright, cheerful toddler play area.
Accessible doors and ramps were added, not only to make it possible for kids with physical disabilities to attend the centre and access the extensive outdoor playground, but also to facilitate the evacuation of the infant cribs, in case of emergency.
The health and safety funding helped address every need and shortcoming, including the installation of new fire-alarm and water systems.
A playground grant from the province allowed the centre to install a brilliant new playscape.
More provincial funding provided the start-up equipment needed for the infant room.
“We revisited the whole building,” said Cullen. “We did a lot of painting, a lot of purging… Just brightened things up for the children.”
It took nine months, but when the centre re-opened it was completely revamped, a “safe and affordable” place for children and their families, in a unique rural setting that offers a large play yard surrounded by trees, “a wonderful outdoor experience.”
Although the centre reopened quietly on Jan. 7, it was only on June 12 that Bradford Progress Childcare Centres held a formal ribbon cutting, inviting staff and members of its board of directors to attend the celebration.
The centre is currently licenced for 69 spaces, including the six infant spaces, but it opened at less than capacity to ensure a relaxed and welcoming environment in the renovated facility.
“It was a transition,” said Cullen. “It needed to be slow; it needed to be calm for the kids.”
“It’s been very rewarding,” said Carrie Field, East supervisor. “I can’t wait until we’re at full capacity... It’s just clean and crisp and open. There’s something about the atmosphere. You come in, and just feel like it’s home.”
One of the issues holding the centre back has been “the shortage of qualified ECE (early childhood educator) providers,” said Cullen. “That’s something that’s happening province-wide. We won’t hire just anybody. This summer we’ll be strongly recruiting for child care and before- and after-school programs."
Fortunately, Cullen said, the province back-tracked on planned cuts to child-care services and agreed to maintain a $2 per hour salary enhancement for ECE workers – for the time being. “Unfortunately, the cuts directly affect our ability to provide care,” she noted.
Bradford Progress Childcare Centres now operates 12 locations – two stand-alone childcare facilities, including the North Centre in the BWG Child & Family Services Building on Barrie Street in Bradford West Gwillimbury, and the East Centre at 845 Graham Sideroad in King Twp. – and 10 before- and after-school care centres in schools, seven in Bradford and one each in Colgan, Tottenham and Beeton.
Staff now number approximately 80 overall, and some have been with Progress for decades. At the East location, said Field, “we’re really fortunate to have such phenomenal staff. We’re really a team.”
The team participated in the ribbon-cutting, joined by board members and staff from other centres, as well as several former employees. Progress Childcare Founder Lora D'Ambrosio dropped by earlier in the day for a tour of the revamped facility.
The East Centre provides infant, toddler and pre-school child-care for families in both York Region and South Simcoe in the Bradford West Gwillimbury area - and with the latest renovations, will continue to do so for years to come.
