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A Charlottetown childcare centre operator is opting to close down rather than meet new provincial requirements and increasing her enrolment.

'It's like giving up my dream.'— Margaret Younker, Small and Mighty Childcare Centre

Last month P.E.I. announced new funding for childcare centers, but to access that money operators need to follow new regulations, including a minimum enrolment of 40 children.

Margaret Younker, owner of Small and Mighty Childcare Centre, has been getting up before dawn to open her doors for seven years, but she will close the business down this fall.

"I like keeping it small, so with all the rules changing it means I'd have to have a bigger centre," said Younker.

"It's like giving up my dream, I enjoyed the kids, and loved being an early childhood educator."

Younker is already licensed for 47 children, but she said that's too many and the quality of care would suffer.

The amalgamation of centres is part of the province's plan, and the government is offering a retirement package for operators in areas they have targeted as overpopulated with daycares.

The amount of money will differ for every centre. For Younker it will be the equivalent of a year's salary.

"It does help a little bit for me to get my feet back under me and figure out what I want to do now that the dream that I wanted is not there," she said.

No package for some

While operators in Charlottetown will be able to access the package, many rural daycares won't qualify, because they stand alone in their area.

Lynn Hogan, president of the Early Learning Operators of P.E.I., said that isn't fair.

"I don't think they have the right to say because you live up west and you live in Charlottetown … you can't retire yours, but you can. I just don't think that's equal opportunity," said Hogan.

Those who qualify to sell back their licence will have until July 2 to make their decision. Younker said she has heard of two other Charlottetown centres that have already decided to cash in and close down.

via www.cbc.ca

What are your questions regarding the changes that have been announced for the Child Care & Early Learning system on PEI? Is this REALLY what parents want? Is this REALLY what operators want? Join the Facebook discussion here.

This post out this afternoon from Robert Paterson is worth the read.

The New PEI Daycare System – Easy or Messy? #peiquestions

I
get the feeling that this is the kind of process that the consultant
and the folks over at the department and ECDA were hoping for. They
have set up a tight timetable and have offered a "forced choice" of in
or out to the operators.

But I think they have forgotten that
this will not be a simple or even a complicated process -
all knowable from the start. No because so many people and factors are
involved this is a complex process – unknowable from the outset and
only knowable from a process of trial and error.

This
is what is emerging – a lot of tough questions from people that they
did not think about when they used the context of a simple process.

Parents – So what are we hearing from Parents?

My child is being born in August – can I find a place for him at
any time in the next 12 months – until now this was possible? The
answer is "NO!" The way the process has ben designed no parent has any
assurance of a place anywhere – no provider can offer that and no one
knows when they will be able to to. So what am I going to do?

My child is in daycare now – what will happen this September? I
have a full time job and I have to know that I have this covered. The
answer is "NO!" we cannot tell you. No provider has a clue what they
will be doing this fall and nor can they. Will they know soon? Well
they are all meant to decide "In or Out" by July but with
their livelihood at stake and all their work and investment in play
this is too short a time for many.

Who gets the subsidies? Won't this affect how many places and my
costs? What are the rules about the money and when will this be clear?

Learning sounds good but what does this mean. My child will be only
2 or 3. Does this mean he will be in effect at "School"? You have to
tell me more about what he is going to be facing. His eldest sister is
in grade 8. She is already bored out of her mind – is this what
curriculum means? Are we merely moving a failing school system into the
pre school years?

We live in a small rural area. Our daycare is close to home. They
tell me that they will have to join up with another one to make the
numbers – does this mean I will have to go 2 times the distance to got
to the new daycare? Does distance mean anything or is organizational
efficiency the key?

I can't afford even the subsidized costs - maybe half the parents – does this mean my kids have no access?

So there will be maybe 50 Centres – at 50 kids each that is 2,500
kids. But there are 4,000 kids who are between 0 – 4. What about the
other kids?

What about Operators?

How can a decision like this be made in a few weeks? So much is not
known. Partnering with other people is very hard at the best of times.

If I make the decision to expand what are my risks? What can I know?

How will centres be evaluated? Who willWho will evaluate me? A competitor? For that is the case right now.

If the new wages are paid in the Centres how will other places cope with the increased costs if fees are capped?

I run a very good centre now – I am full because parents know that
I offer a good service. If less well run places become centres what
will keep the quality up? Schools are all inspected but we all now that
there is a wide range of quality – what is the real incentive to be
good?

These are just some of the questions that I have heard from you – what are yours?

Here is a Facebook page where you can add your questions

The Twitter hastag will be #peiquestions