The Port Alberni Friendship Center has transformed lower 4th Avenue with its newly-expanded facilities making room for a 50-space childcare centre.
The new daycare centre will be called Treasure our Young Ones and the bright new facility features first nations art in the etched glass interior windows and in the brightly colored area rugs.
Construction of the building, which sits right next door to the existing Port Alberni Friendship Center, began in April after months of proposal writing and fundraising efforts.
PAFC Executive Director Cyndi Stevens is grateful that the City of Port Alberni agreed to donate the land for the new daycare, bringing the cost of the new facility down considerably.
“We reached out to many places for donations and the mayor and city council really supported this project in a huge way,” said Stevens, calling the gift a significant donation.
There will be nine employees caring for the 50 children when the daycare center opens. Stevens is hoping the doors will open before the end of January. All they need are the required permits, which should arrive any day in the mail.
Kristen Hunt is the manager of Treasure our Young Ones. She took Ha-Shilth-Sa on a tour of the brand new building. There are two large rooms set aside for three- to five year-old children. With 16 children in each room, there is space for 32 preschoolers.
The property has a fenced yard which will feature a natural play space.
“There will be wood and grass and a mini-longhouse,” said Stevens.
There are eight spaces for infants to two-year-olds and 10 spaces for school-age children (ages five to 12).
In total there will be 50 new childcare spaces in a city that is short of daycare spaces.
“Even though the centre is not open yet, the spaces are all full and calls continue coming in from parents looking for daycare,” Hunt said, adding she is very excited about the new centre.
Funding has been secured for a language nest program, which will run out of the new center. Stevens hopes to find more funding to extend the language program further into the future.
The Port Alberni Friendship Center is planning a public opening celebration. The date will be announced in the near future.
