LEROY — LeRoy celebrated the opening of a unique daycare, which combines care for young and old in the same building.
The official ribbon cutting for the LeRoy Daycare, which is attached directly to the Evergreen Country Home for seniors, was held on Oct. 15.
“In only five weeks of being open, it has been so amazing to see our staff team build strong relationships with each other and with each child,” said Chelsey Holt, the daycare’s executive director.
“In the near future, we are looking forward to programming with the Evergreen. We are so excited to see how the intergenerational care benefits both the residents of the Evergreen and our children.”
Kimberley Block, the chair of the daycare board, said the effort to build a new daycare started in 2013 after the economic development committee sent out a survey.
“When the results came back, we found out there was a huge need, so that’s when we started the daycare board and six years later we have a daycare,” she said.
Block said when the daycare opened, spaces filled up quickly. While there’s some space still open, there’s also a waiting list that depends on when parents return to work
“There is a need and there are still lots of kids in town.”
The idea to have the daycare in the same building as the Evergreen came from the retirement home.
“They had vacant rooms and we thought it was a great way to help keep them open, to get a needed facility in our town, so to put the two together was definitely our best option,” Block said.
Block said the community raised $105,000 for the project, while $120,000 came from government funding.
Todd Goudy, the local MLA, was there representing the provincial government.
“I just wanted to say that the reason I think that the kids’ spaces are being opened up in LeRoy is because of the community of LeRoy,” the MLA for Melfort said.
Block said it was good to see the daycare have its grand opening.
“We're excited and nervous to see just how it all plays out and we're really excited for the future.”
