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INUVIK - A recent survey says local child care services are in high demand.

The Children First Society released the study late last year that shows a demand for more child care facilities and programs in Inuvik.

Ryan Hopkins, front, Angelina McDonald and Jade Goose attend the Midnite Sun Child Development Centre. The program offers daycare services to children from ages two to 10. Child care services are in high demand in Inuvik, according to a recent survey. - Dez Loreen/NNSL photo

Researcher Patricia Davison said there are a number of company managers and business owners that have changed hours of service to accommodate the needs of their employees.

According to the survey, 16 per cent of the managers and owners questioned had altered their business model to help workers who need to look after their children.

"Fourteen per cent isn't a big number, but when you think about it, businesses don't just change their hours or services at a drop of a hat," said Davison.

"Those are big changes. That is pretty significant."

Davison said the survey helped the society identify the severity of the issue.

"We knew it was bad, because of the stories we've heard, but the numbers show that child care is an ongoing issue in this community," she said.

In the past few years, the Children First Society has been trying to get space for their services.

Davison said the struggle to find a building, or funds to build one, is a challenge.

Most recently, the society started talks with the NWT Department of Education, Culture and Employment.

"We've been talking about purchasing some land near the existing SAM school site," she said.

Davison said the proposal seemed to be gaining momentum.

"It passed through cabinet and got their approval that we could have a long-term lease," she said.

Davison said the progress then came to a stop again.

"We were told by the minister that once we had the money to pay for the land, they would write up the lease," she said.

Davison said the society can't gather sponsorship funding without information about the land and the society's obligations to that property.

"We need to know those things and have the land in place before we can get anyone to get on board," she said.

"We don't know any of that information. All we have is a letter from the minister saying they'll give us the land once we give them the money."

She said the society is still waiting to get their hands on the Community Capacity Building Fund money they were promised.

"We still haven't had a contribution agreement with details that we can sign," she said.

Davison said she was sent a letter stating the funding is being released into an account in the society's name.

"The town will still have signing authority on that," she said.

Davison said the reasoning is that the providers of the building fund don't want the money spent on any conceptual designs.

"They want it to be used for the construction of the building," she said.

She said the society needs some of the money to make plans and get bigger sponsors on board with the construction.

A sponsorship book was created last year and circulated to local businesses and groups.

Davison said she hopes the community supports the project to keep it alive.

"Right now, it's just a bunch of volunteer parents organizing it, but we need the support from the local businesses to make it a reality," she said.

"I can understand why people are hesitant about getting on board."

Davison said the society was started by two parents and grew into a board of six volunteers and three others that help.

"If these parents get tired, then what?" asked Davison.

"The programs that exist will be demolished and there won't be anything in town."

The Midnite Sun Child Development Centre holds its programs Sir Alexander Mackenzie School.

When the school is demolished in the next few years, that program will need a new space to continue their services.

Joyce Palsson, one of the supervisors who helps run the Midnite Sun Child Development Centre said the centre currently caters to children aged two through 10.

There are 10 children aged two and three in the pre-school program, eight children aged three to four in the program and 20 aged five to 10 that use the centre on a daily basis after school.

The service is open from 8:15 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. every weekday.

The program has had space at the school for the past five years, before that, it was located in the old hospital building.

The centre is at the maximum capacity that is allowed through its funding agreements.

"We have a long waiting list for every area we offer," she said.

She said most of the kids in the program stay there and advance through the age groups.

"Most of them go from that room to the next, straight through to our oldest group," said Palsson.

"There isn't much of a turnover in our children at all."