Learning Circle Child Development Centre, located at 681 Monaghan Rd., in Peterborough, Ont. will be shutting its doors after 14 years of service.
The daycare is operated out of the Community Training and Development Centre.
On Tuesday, multiple toys and supplies were seen out on the sidewalk along the road. Madelaine Currelly, CEO of Community Training and Development Centre, said the decision to close was not mainly due to the COVID-19 shutdown of services, but that the shutdown was still a contributor.
“It was very difficult,” said Currelly. “We had these discussions with our board of directors for the last year. Concern about, ‘How can we structure this? How can we make it go? How can we change the staffing?’ You know, we tried as many different formulas as we could come up with.”
“It was hard for us to meet the guidelines and still generate enough income.”
According to Currelly, the centre’s small size, which has a capacity of approximately 24 children, was one of the reasons why the centre could not continue to cover the costs of its operation.
Staff were notified about the closure almost two weeks ago, and letters were sent to parents this week, Currelly said.
But it seems like other child care providers in the city are in a tough spot.
Wee Watch Licensed Home Child Care was one of the child care providers authorized to continue to operate during the pandemic, as their services are home-based, meaning the centre hires independent contractors who provide child care to children out of their own homes.
The organization was also on the list of centres to provide Emergency Child Care for front line worker’s children.
Lisa Parise, vice-president of Wee Watch, told Global Peterborough that despite the centre being allowed to reopen, the organization has been struggling.
Parise said the centre followed the guidelines outlined by health officials, including screening parents and children coming into the homes, prohibiting the use of certain toys as well as sanitizing surfaces frequently.
However, it was ultimately up to the contractors to decide whether they wanted to continue to operate during the pandemic.
In the end, half of Wee Watch’s 950 providers chose not to continue with service, which was a major hit to the centre, according to Parise.
Parise also said there are now barriers that come with the province’s reopening announcement, such as child care providers being forced to hold a child’s spot while their parents decide whether or not they want to send them back to care, without being charged fees.
Minister of Education Stephen Lecce has not made it clear what would happen if demand for the child care increases, while the spots are still being held.
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