Scott Crabbe
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Feb 25/00) - The Neshda Childcare Centre has its eye on a new home but now needs to come up with about $10,000 to pay for work needed to make the space suitable.

Neshda has been searching for solutions since late last year when it was told to bring its current 2,600 square-foot facility up to fire codes.

Instead, the non-profit organization has found a new 4,700 square-foot facility, space that will allow it to grow to meet an increasing need for day-care services.

Neshda had hoped to get up to $15,000 from the City of Yellowknife, but will now have to look elsewhere for the money after council's corporate service committee denied the funding from the city's special grant budget.

"It's frustrating, in a nutshell," said Kevin Brooks, Neshda's treasurer.

Coun. Bob Brooks, who chairs the city committee, said the grant application was denied so as not to fund an operation that competes with private businesses.

"We didn't want to interfere in small business funding or funding for health and social services," said Coun. Brooks.

"If the city was to accept the proposal (by the Neshda day care), it would open the door and invite every other day care to come forth and ask for the same."

Making the Neshda situation critical is the fact the day care has to move into its new premises in April. Their present lease runs out at the end of March.

It was due to an increasing need for infant and after-school care that the day care's administration has decided to relocate to a larger facility rather than upgrade their present location.

"We felt we could best serve the community by expanding into a new facility," said Lucy Gillard, executive director of the centre.

The new facility will have 64 spaces available for infant, after school and regular day-care services.

"We've grown as far as we could," Brooks said.

"The new infant care program we're hoping to create will be the largest of its kind in Yellowknife."

The new facility will be up to fire code, however there are a variety of smaller changes that need to take place before operations begin.

"There are some significant leasehold improvements according to the Day Care Act," Brooks said.

"(The act) is one of the more stricter guidelines for small business requirements."

Despite the committee recommendation, Neshda will get some funding from the city. It has been invited to take part in the annual spring cleanup, for which it will receive $1,000.