New rental fees could bankrupt early child-care centres in Sask. French schools: advocates
CBC
The school board Conseil des Écoles Fransaskoises (CÉF) has announced it will start charging new rental fees to Fransaskois early childhood education centres. Advocates say this decision could bankrupt some of those centres.
The new rent, set to take effect Sept. 1, is $4 per square foot for the 10 not-for-profit early childhood centres that occupy spaces in Saskatchewan CÉF schools. Most of the centres were previously given the space for free.
This decision was part of the budget adopted by the CÉF on June 21, according to the coalition of Fransaskois early child-care centres in CÉF schools. On Thursday, the coalition sent a letter to Minister of Education Jeremy Cockrill's office, appealing for help.
"This unjust decision, in the CÉF's own words to us 'to account for their current budget needs,' will mean hardship, closure and the potential loss of hundreds of child-care spaces in the province,'" said the coalition in the letter.
Julie Pedneault, spokesperson for the coalition of Fransaskois early child-care centres in CÉF schools, told Radio-Canada Thursday that sharing space with early childhood centres is not unusual for Saskatchewan schools.
"Our research shows that many school boards provide space free of rent in Saskatchewan as an incentive to bring convenient day care spaces close to classrooms. Those that do pay rent have minimal fees that are nowhere close to what CÉF is introducing," Pedneault said.
She said the new rent fees will make budgeting extremely difficult.
"Some of our daycares have indicated that they could go bankrupt within the next two to three years, and that means less daycare spots across the province, and those are already very scarce."
Pedneault said there are close to 70 early child-care spaces in Regina French schools and even more in Saskatoon schools.
Smaller daycares across the province, some of which only have nine or 15 spaces, will also be affected.
"But it's still very important for those families so that they can go out there and earn a living," said Pedneault.
The letter indicates that all of the non-profit centres' revenue is reinvested in learning opportunities for employees and improving care for the children registered at their centres. The coalition said that due to economic uncertainty and high inflation, it is often necessary for Fransaskois early childhood education centres to fundraise to maintain the quality of services.
"This new unplanned rent expense is unfeasible for nearly all of us, while not providing any new service to our clients, the Francophone families of Saskatchewan," read the letter.
Meanwhile, the coalition said the Parent Fee Reduction Grant puts early child-care centres in an especially difficult position, as they cannot raise their parent fees to accommodate "new and sudden expenses such as this $4 per square foot rent expense."
