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INUVIK
Construction is moving forward on the $4-million Children's First Centre.

The Children's First Centre is expected to be completed by March 2013. Armed Forces personnel are helping with the construction while Operation Nanook is in Inuvik. - Danielle Sachs/NNSL photo

Eventually, the centre will provide a centralized location for childcare options in Inuvik. Scheduled to be completed in early 2013, some parents are already counting down the days until opening.

But in the meantime, agencies are struggling to find temporary solutions for the needs of families in the Town of Inuvik.

Faced with eviction by the end of August, one licenced daycare was scrambling to find a suitable spot for the 12 families they service.

Tot Spot Daycare is a non-profit organization run by a parent board of directors. As soon as the daycare was handed the eviction notice by the owners of their current location on Navy Road, because Tot Spot needed a month-to-month contract, they started looking at other options.

"It's hard to find a place that will accept a month-to-month lease," said parent Stella Patera.

Finding the right landlord

The other issue is finding a landlord that will allow changes made to the interior of the unit, changes necessary to bring the building up to code for childcare purposes.

"(The Department of) Education, Culture and Employment, the fire marshal and (the Department of Health and Social Services division of) environmental health all have to do a walk-through to declare the space suitable and eligible to a daycare service," said Patera.

George Parkes has been a member of the board for three months and is eager for the centre to open.

"It's a huge benefit," he said.

"It's a bigger space which means a potential for more staff which means more children, cutting wait times for families who need childcare."

On top of that, both Patera and Parkes agree that having all the services amalgamated into one building will benefit everyone.

"It's a larger pool for fundraising and volunteering," said Parkes.

"Right now, all the different centres hold their own events and it can be exhausting for volunteers. It's like having another full-time job that you pay to go to."

"We laugh about it but it's really stressful," said Patera.

Previously, the parent board had approached the Town of Inuvik about using the old Inuvik Public Works Building.

When that fell through, they started looking at private options.

Initially, the issue was brought up at the Aug. 8 council meeting. It was decided that the town needed more time to look at the financials of Tot Spot and decide on a reasonable rate for use of the Public Works building.

"Even if they got back to us now, we would need time for renovations," said Parkes.

"That comes from more volunteer hours and a lot of people are on vacation now."

While Patera understands the need for more time to make a decision, she said childcare is a basic service.

"I want to see my family growing and I like it here," she said.

"We were kind of taken aback by the decision, but we found a solution, everybody has been trying to help us out."

The private rental unit is not the perfect solution, said Jamie Doornbos, program co-ordinator at Tot Spot.

"We wouldn't be able to have the full 12 spots," she said.

"We would need to cut back on the numbers."

Doornbos found out about the limitation after the fire marshal inspected the proposed location. Tot Spot's numbers were reduced over the summer, meaning Doornbos wouldn't have to kick anyone out, but the centre wouldn't be able to accept new clients.

A special town council meeting has been called for today to get clarification on a few financial details on Tot Spot's request for space, said Grant Hood, senior administrative officer for the Town of Inuvik. Doornbos is optimistic that everything will work out and the public works building will be available after all.

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