Repulse Bay (Feb 26/03) - The first day care to ever operate in Repulse Bay is up and running.

Manager Angela Zummack says the community is both proud and excited to finally have a facility for some of its youngest residents.

The new day care was constructed more than a year ago, and has its own board of directors comprised of community members and parents of children attending the facility.

Zummack says the day care is funded by the Department of Education and parents pay a user fee to have their children attend.

She says start-up funding was also received from Kivalliq Partners in Development.

"We have 15 children registered with us so far and we're licensed for 24," says Zummack.

"We're open Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. until 5:30 p.m., and we accept newborns to kids five years of age."

With the exception of Zummack's son, every child attending the new facility is Inuit.

The day care has two full-time employees (Rebecca and Gwendolyn Siusangnark) and one part-timer (Diane Ivalutanar) on staff.

Another staff member (Asina Angotinguar) will begin work once more children are registered.

"We follow the Department of Education guidelines with out programming, so we have circle time and crafts in the morning, and we supply two snacks a day and a hot lunch.

"We do more active play in the afternoons, and we also offer story time and other educational-type activities."

The day care has been open for about three weeks.

Zummack says the kids are still adjusting to their new surroundings and all the toys that come with it, so the program is a bit more relaxed than what it will be once everyone gets settled.

She says working parents account for about half the children at the day care, while students attending high school account for the others.

"We're hoping to have an open house sometime during the next six weeks for the entire community to come and see the building and what we have to offer.

"The process for establishing the day care took more than two years, so everyone's been waiting for this for some time now.

"Those who have all ready had the opportunity to come and tour the facility have been impressed by what we have to offer."