FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Whale Spirit Early Childhood Enrichment Centre Needs a New Home
VICTORIA, BC (January 21, 2010)
With deep regret, Capital Families Association Executive Director Prairie Escallier announced the closure of the Whale Spirit Early Childhood Enrichment Centre as of March 31, 2010 at a special meeting of parents and guardians held at the Wale Road location yesterday evening.
Capital Families Association has been in partnership with the Queen Alexandra Foundation for Children, the owner of the West Shore Child Youth and Family Centre in which the Whale Spirit Early Childhood Enrichment Centre is currently housed, for several years. This partnership saw the Queen Alexandra Foundation for Children offer both financial and practical support to Capital Families, for which Capital Families is always thankful.
Unfortunately, in a letter to the Board of Directors received December 21, 2009 from Queen Alexandra Foundation for Childrenís legal counsel, Capital Families Association was informed of the Foundationís decision not to allow the Association to continue to lease space in the building after March 31, 2010.
Capital Families Association is seeking an alternative location for Whale Spirit Early Enrichment Centre and is asking for help from the WestShore community in identifying potential spaces to relocate before the March 31 deadline. The day care is a much-needed service for the community, currently providing a very high level of care and education to 21 children, including children with severe physical and behavioural disabilities for whom there is no similar alternative in the WestShore. Closing the daycare on such short notice in the middle of the year will cause extreme hardship for these families.
The Association had written to Queen Alexandra Foundation for Children on November 4, 2009 indicating that they would be vacating all but the Whale Spirit day care space, moving some programs from other space in the 345 Wale Road building to Ruth King Elementary School property as part of an expanded partnership with School District #62 (Sooke), relieving some of the financial pressure created by increasing operating costs in the Wale Road location.
Although five weeks short of the six month notice to change lease arrangements specified in the last signed lease, Capital Families Association assumed that since the Queen Alexandra Foundation for Children was aware of the financial pressures Capital Families Association was facing and its efforts to continue to provide essential services to the community, almost five months notice would not pose a problem for the Queen Alexandra Foundation for Children. Capital Families Association received no indication from the Queen Alexandra Foundation for Children or Hayworth Communities, the property management firm engaged to act on behalf of Queen Alexandra Foundation for Children for the Wale Road building, that this was not the case until the letter of December 21.
Capital Families Association's further request that the Foundation reconsider its decision was denied in a letter from Queen Alexandra Foundation for Childrenís legal counsel received on January 19, 2010.
Six full-time and four casual substitute staff members will unfortunately lose their jobs as a result of this closure.
Capital Families Associationís first priority has been ñ and remains ñ the health, welfare, and safety of children and families. All other Capital Families Association programs and services are continuing.
Capital Families Association provides preventative services that are not available anywhere else on the WestShore for children, youth and their families. Programs focus on early identification and intervention so that children, youth, and families can thrive, especially those living with limited incomes and special needs. The Association will continue operating parenting, youth and food security programs, such as REACH Young Parent and Early Childhood Centre (at Belmont High School), Best Babies support and education program for parents of infants, Positive Behavioural Support, Mother Goose early literacy program, Triple P parenting skills program, acting basics for youth, and Gardens in Motion, a mobile demonstration garden.
Capital Families Association has been serving greater Victoria since 1980. Capital Families Association moved to the West Shore in 1989 by request of the community and provincial government agencies to support this growing region. Capital Families has founded many initiatives over its thirty year history, including the neighbourhood house movement that now includes nine thriving neighbourhood house programs in greater Victoria providing support to thousands of people.
Contact Prairie Escallier
Executive Director
Capital Families Association
Telephone 250 391 4323
Fax 250 391 8841
E-mail prairie.escallier@capfamilies.org
Robin Gage, Legal Counsel
Underhill, Boies Parker
Telephone 250 380 2788
Fax 250 380 2799
E-mail rgage@ufbplaw.ca