The need for more daycares in Saint John, N.B., has once again been amplified this week following an ordered closure.
An inspection report of Rhymes & Chymes in Saint John dated Feb. 28 found numerous deficiencies, including evidence of inadequate training and the fact that two educators did not have valid first aid certificates.
Inspectors also found that parts of the facility were dirty and in poor repair, and there was no documentation of learning for certain children.
“Small room in back of this preschool room, insulation the floor. Upon moving the shelf, insulation and rodent droppings were observed. Discussed and showed operator,” read the report.
“Building exterior has fallen into disrepair. Discussed with the operator to contact the building inspector to have the building inspected prior to renovations. Information on building inspection companies left with operator.”
The department said the business on Golden Grove Road failed to comply with several orders.
However, parents say those orders weren’t communicated by the daycare.
One parent, Deborah Green, told Global News that she found out about the closure from someone she knew as she was working in Nova Scotia. She’s had her children at Rhymes & Chymes for nearly 13 years and didn’t know the daycare had mice.
“She’s been very good, and I know she’s scared of mice,” Green said of the daycare operator. “They have pest control that goes in there once a month, and even the pest control guy was appalled that they had rodent droppings.”
She said that her nine-year-old son needs daycare because she works full-time. The family is hopeful that they’ll be able to get their son into the facility for the summer, which she said she would have to reapply for later this month.
“For the summer months, we have to apply and based on how many people apply, I may be on a waitlist.”
“That opens next week, so I won’t know until next week.”
In the meantime, the province helped her find a spot at another nearby childcare facility. The department of early childhood education believes that there are roughly 83 child-care facilities in the Greater Saint John region, but nearly two-thirds of them don’t have vacancies. Twenty-eight of them have spots remaining.
In an interview with Global News in February, Saint John City Coun. Joanna Killen said she’s been hearing from daycare operators in the city, and she said the wait list is believed to be “hundreds” long.
Child Care Now New Brunswick has been hearing some complaints from parents across the province in trying to get spaces for their children. They said in an interview that one operator in Miramichi had nearly 150 children on their list waiting for a spot.
“There are a lot more spaces needed than what we have now,” told Isabelle Forest, the group’s coordinator.
“With the reduced fees, there are a lot more parents that are looking for child care for their children and that has created more demand, and with more demand, you need more spaces to fill that demand.”
She said that, like many industries, the child-care sector has seen recruitment and retention struggles throughout the province.
The group is hopeful that the province will continue to support finding affordable child-care spaces in New Brunswick.
Global News reached out to Rhymes & Chymes but did not receive a response in time for deadline.
– with files from The Canadian Press
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