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le | Thursday, July 13, 2023 | 10 8 3 2 2 [4 2 i 2 be 5 AYCARE ASSOCIATION PURCHASED PROPERTY FOR $2.8 MILLION Continued from page 3 "They didn't want to see it go to highrise," said Ault- and didn't want us to be squished in| between two apartments." The Sroeerty at 372 Erb W. was purchased by daycare association bee year for $2.8 millio: andis nowin the process of being renovated by Family & Children's sorrows of the Can Early Lemnine and Chil Care Program. A new natural outdoor playground space is being created, along with more fencing, parking and a pathway connecting the two buildings. "We're going Kitchen area. We ‘re mov- ing one of our preschool rooms over there so we can expand to another infant room here," Aultman ex- plained. "It's going to be huge for families," she said, adding that access to child care es- sentially allows people and families to live. The centre's adminis- tration is constantly field- ing calls from parents who are in desperate need for a variety of reasons, wheth- er itis due toa crisis situa: aration or di- area. With more develop- rent and intensification ring area, the situ- ation | is only expected to become more dire. Bill Jackson/ Metroland MHBC/ Bing VirtualEarth Imagery Left: This old house at 372 Erb St. W., formerly home to the Amy, Appleby & Brennan law office, is undergoing renovation for a child daycare operation. Right: The site plan for the Waterloo Infant Toddler Daycare Association's expansion into a former home and law office The association's fee for an infant is currently $1,615 per month, with more than half of that cost currently covered by the government. While the plan is to pro- vide families with child care. for $10 per day in the ing years, the reduced cost also creates more de- mand, because more peo- ple can afford it, said Ault- man. Providing such a ser- Ped a oo lown ad more Funding fom "eer Sevels of gov. ernment to the Region of Waterloo, she said. Though there is money to create 1,871 new child- care spaces between 2022 and 2026, earlier this year, the region petitioned the province for nearly 1,000 more child-care spaces to meet targets for a growing demand for licensed spots, with more than 7,000 chil- ils fir iS say- ing. ‘This ($10- a oe child care) is great, butI can't get in," Barbara Cardow, the region's director of chil- en's services, told the Waterloo Region Record at meth just breaks my heart who are not able to access the system," she said. For the Waterloo Infant Toddler Daycare Associa- years of history in the Wa- terloo community and will help : alleviate some of the ane association also op- erates a small elassroom at at the Kitchener-Waterloo Ungual Seno and ams f St John's ‘Ss Christian. Nurses School for 65 children. STORY. BEHIND THE STO. ne change for a degeare expansion was pass in bye city council ear, and the Chronicle r reached out to learn more.