A Summerside daycare operator is unhappy with the way the P.E.I. government chose daycares for its new regulated program.
'Some of the centres that will not be Early Learning Centres in Summerside have excellent reputations.'— Peggy Dunville, Wee Wonderz
The province accepted 38 daycares into its system for September. Those Early Years Centres will receive additional funding in exchange for using a set curriculum.
Eight daycares were told they don't make the cut. One of those was Wee Wonderz in Summerside, owned by Peggy and Kent Dunville. They told CBC News Tuesday it makes their centre look bad.
"I just think there might be a misconception that the centres that were chosen, automatically they're a better centre," said Peggy Dunville.
"Some of the centres that will not be Early Learning Centres in Summerside have excellent reputations and outstanding care. They're still the same centres that they were three months ago."
Carolyn Simpson, early childhood development and kindergarten manager for the province, said daycares were chosen based on how closely they fit the government's new model of childcare. That includes the size and location of the center, and how many trained staff they have.
Simpson would not say why Wee Wonderz wasn't accepted.
"We asked them to come in to actually do a presentation. And then from the presentation, the selection committee had criteria that we've always talked about, the criteria for the Early Years [Centres], and we'll go through that process and make our selections from there. And that's what we did," she said.
Simpson said the centres that were not accepted are still good centres, but they weren't able to meet the government's requirements.
The Early Years Centres officially launch Sep. 6. Those centers will charge a set price, teach a provincially curriculum, have a regulated number of trained staff, and accept a minimum of 40 children.
via www.cbc.ca