New daycare facility opens at college

Celebrating the opening of the Young Parents’ Education Program daycare facility are (left to right): Lukas Cox; daycare co-ordinator Marnie Wake; YPEP co-ordinator Jody Lutzke; acting mayor Jim Wavercan; CBAL board member and COTR dean of instruction Dr. Marilyn Petersen: COTR president and CEO Dr. Nick Rubidge; Sierra Herbert; COTR dean of instruction Sharon Richardson; CBAL regional manager Betty Knight; CBAL executive director Ali Wassing; and COTR instructor Shannon Griffen-Merth.

Many people turned out for the official opening of the Young Parents Education program’s (YPEP) daycare facility at College of the Rockies on November 8. Along with greetings from various supporters, a tour of the facility was provided culminating with refreshments and an opportunity to learn more about the YPEP program.

The Columbia Basin Alliance for Literacy (CBAL) is thrilled with the opening of the Young Parents Education Program daycare. CBAL and College of the Rockies partner to offer parents, who have not completed high school, a supportive learning environment in which to achieve their Grade 12 diploma.

YPEP is also supported by Paq’mi Nuq’yuk Early Learning Years, the Infant Development Program, the Community Action Program for Children, Community Connections Society of SE BC and School District #5. In its third year of operation YPEP provides academic support as well as life, parenting and work skills for the adult learners. The program has a continuous intake (with a maximum of 12 learners) and welcomes both moms and dads. This program is free for the learners. For more information about YPEP contact Jody at 250-421-0475.

The daycare, a new adventure for CBAL, provides 12 infant toddler spaces for the children of the YPEP learners. CBAL is exploring the feasibility of opening the YPEP daycare in the afternoon to the children of college students and staff as one way to help support the cost of the program into the future. This would also help to address the current two-year waiting list for infant-toddler daycare spaces in Cranbrook.

CBAL provides free literacy programs throughout the Kootenays and in Cranbrook manages the Strong Start programs, provides adult literacy tutoring, classes and one-to-one tutoring for adult ESL learners, family literacy programming and computer classes for seniors. For more information please contact Katherine Hough, Community Literacy Co-ordinator at 250-417-2896 or visit www.cbal.org.