For the young children attending the Haut Comme Trois Pommes daycare centre in Saint-Antoine-Abbé, March 30 was like any other day. But for centre’s staff, the day marked a significant milestone for the daycare and for Franklin families.
“We closed on Friday as a private daycare and opened on Monday as a subsidized daycare,” said coordinator Jordyn Hardie of the centre’s new change in status.
The daycare was selected as part of a special project by the Ministère de la Famille to convert 1,000 daycare spaces to subsidized spaces in certain regions across Quebec. Hardie explained that the centre had previously applied for subsidized status in 2022, and reapplied when these new spaces became available last July.
The daycare centre was first opened in 2017 in response to a need expressed by shift workers at Les Vergers Leahy who were unable to find childcare services that accommodated their work schedules. The company opened the centre, with a certain number of reserved spots for employees and the remaining places for residents.
The new status affects all 43 spaces, including 10 for children under 18 months in age.
Huntingdon MNA Carole Mallette was on hand to celebrate with daycare staff and representatives from Leahy Orchards, including the vice-president, Mitchell Leahy, on March 30. After a brief tour of the installation, she congratulated the staff for their dedication while commending the Leahy family for their work supporting the Franklin community.
Leahy commended the daycare staff for their dedicated work, noting the status change will ensure there is continuity over the long term and that affordable and accessible daycare services will continue to be offered to workers and area families.
Parents had been paying between $46.50 and $54.50 per day, depending on the ages of their children and whether they were employed by Leahy Orchards. With this new status, costs per child will drop to the provincial rate of $9.65 per day.
“For us, and for the company, this is a big step in solidifying the work we have been doing,” said Hardie. “To be working for an employer that believes in family life and that believes this daycare within our community is important is really validating,” she added.