RANKIN INLET
For nearly 30 years, one of Rankin Inlet's daycares has been providing a crucial service to parents and children alike.

Terence Kusugak, 2, takes advantage of play time at the Kataujaq Society Daycare on July 3. - Candace Thomson/NNSL photo

The Kataujaq Society Daycare, one of three in Rankin Inlet, was started in 1985 by a group of local mothers recognizing a need for stable childcare while parents are at work.

Annie Tattuinee is one of the mothers who grouped together to create the society. She said it's gratifying to see it still running 30 years later but she still has her concerns.

"It's struggling and it could use some community help," she said. "It would be nice if (the society) could get access to third-party funding so they can pay their workers a little bit more. If they could get a subsidy it might make a difference."

Now the society, which runs the daycare and the regional women's shelter for the Kivalliq, is in need of an executive director and the daycare is in need of a director.

Kerri Tattuinee is the daughter of Annie. She attended the daycare from 1992 until she went to kindergarten, and is filling in for the summer as the interim executive director. The position will be vacant when she returns to the University of Winnipeg to finish her bachelor of arts degree at the end of August.

Tattuinee said the daycare has seen six people take on the role of executive director over past three years and the high turnover has caused a lot of instability.

"We have great staff now who know the routine and can keep running basic things, but we could excel with a few key components like an executive director," she said.

High turnover for the childcare workers on the floor has also been an issue, caused mostly, Tattuinee said, by high levels of stress and relatively low pay.

"If I were ever to do anything in social policy, I'd make sure daycares were funded almost to the same par as what schools are being funded," she said. "You're expected to run things on an institutional level without the institutional funding. I can see why our teachers get really tired at the end of the day, and then often pay checks aren't matching the work that's put in."

The daycare runs from 8 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. every day and keeps children busy with games, activities and prepares them for kindergarten in both English and Inuktitut. Nearly all of the children who attend are Inuk, and getting them exposed to that culture at such a young age is integral to their development, Tattuinee said.

She said the vacant administrative positions need to be filled in order to keep things running smoothly.

"We have a good board of directors and a good set of staff now, but what's needed is the one who connects them all, sort of the glue to keep it all together," she said. "So hopefully, we can get that and see this run for a longer term, because parents need it, the little kids need it and really the community needs it."

Along with finding qualified, passionate people to fill those positions and bring stability to the daycare, Tattuinee is also working on bringing more exposure to the daycare and hopefully, some donations and community involvement.

"Our kitchen could use an upgrade, a new knife set, something to prepare food quickly," she said. "We're preparing two meals a day and a snack, so a dream wish would be a food processor to get things ready quickly."

Basic household items like a laundry basket, and any leftover ribbon, yarn or other crafty items would be welcome donations. So would bigger items like a topped-up sandbox for the summer and a stroller.

"We take the kids out walking every day and we have a couple of 18-month-olds, so it'd be nice if we had a stroller because we can't go very long distances with the younger ones," she said.

"If we could get a double-seater stroller ... just wow."

In the past, community members have helped the daycare with little obstacles that arise through operations, such as minor repairs needing done.

"Rick Strickland donated his time and materials for a minor repair downstairs and we're all grateful for that (at the daycare)," Tattuinee said.

"Also Sally Cormier with the Department of Family Services has laminated and printed important documents for us. I have gone to Sally for help with programming and basic materials for activity planning and fun for our children, and she has been passing on her experiences with a smile."

Staff are also organizing a few fundraisers to take place this month with a few smaller events like bake sales and yard sales leading up to a larger fundraiser.

In the past, Tattuinee said, the society has hosted a successful silent auction but it hasn't been done in recent years.

"With the fundraisers hopefully we can get some of the bigger items on our wish list," she said.

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