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KINNGAIT/CAPE DORSET
The building blocks are coming together for the new daycare in Cape Dorset opening at Peter Pitseolak High School at the end of August.

There's room for 16 children in the new daycare, which is scheduled to open at the start of the new school year. - Danielle Sachs/NNSL photo

Scheduled to open in time for the new 2013-2014 school year, the daycare has room for 16 children, from infants to preschoolers.

Katie Hughes, executive director of the daycare, moved to Cape Dorset with a friend before she knew about the plans for a new daycare, which were added to the high school during school-wide renovations in 2010.

Hughes said it was kind of a fluke but with her background in early childhood education and extensive experience, she was able to jump at the opportunity to run the daycare and is planning on spending the summer collecting more supplies for the new facility.

"There were a lot of supplies in storage that we've been able to use," said Hughes. "There was a family resource centre that closed down a few years ago and since then their old supplies have been in storage. We'll be able to use them but there are still a few basic things we need like cribs and cots."

So far, staff has been hired and parent information sessions have been held.

"We're also looking into a part time program for kindergarten, a lot of parents are a little worried about the time between school and home," said Hughes.

The new daycare will join the existing Kinngait Daycare in providing childcare services to parents. Fundraising is also ongoing for a playground that will be used by both services.

But the Peter Pitseolak Daycare has a twist - students registered at the high school have priority when it comes to available spaces.

It's one way the administration is hoping to boost attendance and enrollment rates.

"For high school students they will get 100 per cent of their fees subsidized, if they attend school. We have to send in their child attendance records and the school sends in their attendance records," said Hughes.

Mike Soares, principal at the high school, said he's hoping the arrangement will encourage people to come back and finish their high school.

"For me, this being my first year as principal, I see it as a must do thing. You can look at it as a headache, but even in the worst case scenario it's still a positive thing that we'll have this for our school-aged moms.

If anything, it will be sending a strong message to regular students that school is important," said Soares.

Hughes said the staff hired for the daycare are all Inuit, and she expects day-to-day activities will be conducted mostly in Inuktitut.

"I'm learning the language, it's a slow process but I'd love to learn more," said Hughes.

Currently, the daycare is being run by a board of directors made up of community members. Eventually, Hughes said she'd like to see parents on the board.

"We had to start off without parents but the board has been really great. The members don't even have children in the daycare but they've been working so hard because they really do care about the community," said Hughes. "This really would have been impossible without their dedication."

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