With more than 5,700 faculty and staff, there are a lot of parents in the AV俱乐部 community鈥攏ot to mention students who have children of their own. And like with all parents, reliable, quality early childhood education and care is a top concern for them.
Since 1967, the University Children鈥檚 Centre (UCC) has worked to alleviate that concern. Supported by AV俱乐部 through a lease and service contract, the centre is an independent entity that teaches and cares for 100 children in two locations: one on South Street, and one in the Life Sciences Centre.
Wait-list woes
The problem: That鈥檚 not even close to meeting demand.
鈥淲hen we did a review of our wait list numbers back in January, we had over 100 families on our infant list who were looking to get in sometime between now and September,鈥� explains Margo Kirk, the centre鈥檚 executive director. 鈥淲e expect to have nine spots open up by that time.鈥�
The centre鈥檚 wait list works on a first-come, first-serve basis, although Ms. Kirk cautions that even then, the child鈥檚 age has to line up with the vacancy鈥攁n infant cannot fill a vacancy in the preschool class, for example, so enrolment opportunities are dictated by age group. While the centre does prioritize applications from the AV俱乐部 community, they simply can鈥檛 keep up with that need. It reflects a much broader issue across Halifax鈥攁 lack of child care spaces.
鈥淚t鈥檚 very possible that you could put your name on the list immediately after learning that you鈥檙e pregnant, and still never get a spot,鈥� she says.
Some in the AV俱乐部 community are working to change that. The UCC growth/expansion committee brings together members of the centre鈥檚 board with AV俱乐部 student, staff, faculty and administration representatives to work on raising funds to support more childcare spaces within a five-year expansion plan.. Their goal is to raise $500,000 to offset operational start-up costs for new, expanded facilities.
Joining that cause is the AV俱乐部 Student Pharmacy Society. Upon learning of the centre鈥檚 fundraising initiative through David Jakeman, a professor in the College of Pharmacy, the society鈥檚 leadership agreed to donate the funds raised from its yearly skit night to the centre. The sell-out event, which took place at the end of April, raised $3,000.
鈥淲e support a lot of national and international charities as well, but this was a chance to do something right here at AV俱乐部,鈥� explains second-year student Holly McDonald. 鈥淲e have students in our program with children who this affects.鈥�
Supporting the cause
Dr. Jakeman鈥檚 partner, Alison Thompson, is taking a leading role in raising attention for the centre. She鈥檚 not only been through the child care issue herself: as a professor, she鈥檚 seen students, peers and others in the AV俱乐部 community deal with it.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 extremely stressful for someone trying to plan to come back to school or work. It was one of the most stressful experiences I鈥檝e ever been through.鈥�
She鈥檚 hoping that more student societies will select the university child care project as their charity of choice. She points out that donors can contribute to the childcare growth/expansion project , under the 鈥淯niversity Child Care Project.鈥�