On April 19th, 2017, parents of Junior Citizens Care Centre (JCCC) were informed that the day care services would be losing a classroom. The reasons given were that an upstairs classroom currently leased to Coronation Kids Care (CKC) day care was required for an additional Mountain Meadows class in the upcoming school year. Because of this, the school and school board decided to not continue the lease of room 112 with Junior Citizens Care Centre, and instead provide that room to CKC, in what appears to, at this time, be compensation for losing their room upstairs.

This decision affects 36 children total that attend, or will attend, the before and after school program with Junior Citizens Care Centre – currently 21 children (including children with special needs) in the program attend Mountain Meadows, with 15 more due to attend in September. Many of these children have attended JCCC since they were infants or toddlers, and have had a sense of belonging in the school community since then. Many of these children have brothers and sisters who are enrolled in the JCCC infant and toddler programs as well, and are excited to join their siblings in the Mountain Meadows community.

The two businesses offer similar services, with Junior Citizens offering a longer overall term of service for many families, and because of this, can offer a greater sense of community for Mountain Meadows due to the length of time that children are watching and learning from students of the elementary school.

Junior Citizens Care Centre

Service Types:

• Group Child Care (School Age)
• Preschool (30 months to School Age)
• Group Child Care (30 month to School Age)
• Group Child Care (under 36 months)

Coronation Kids Care

Service Types:

• Group Child Care (School Age)
• Preschool (30 month to School Age)

It is imagined this change will affect the licensing of the two businesses, and for JCCC, it may mean a reduced capacity, which in turn would threaten parts of the Mountain Meadows continued community. With July 1, 2017 rapidly approaching and just over two months to find alternate day care for potentially 36 students of Mountain Meadows, and/or their younger siblings, many families are going to be looking at difficulties with child care, especially over the summer months. Many summer day care spots will have already been registered for and there will be little left for families that may be displaced.

We, the undersigned, are asking for clarity and information around the following topics, to help us process this decision and move forward:

• What was the decision making process?
• What were the reasons for providing a room leased to JCCC to a competing day care that was losing one of their rooms on the upper floor?
• What considerations were given to families with children with special needs, from outside the catchment area, or with younger siblings?
• Was there a competitive or fair process to allow the two businesses to bid or compete for room 112? If so, please outline the steps (including evaluation process) taken.