In 2016, Houston Today reported on the Beanstalk Child Care Centre building a new day care facility to accommodate daycare and program demand as well as expand staff.
Funding of $370,952 was received last year from the provincial government to cover 80 per cent of the costs to rebuild Beanstalk, as well as finance additional programs the centre implemented. The entire project cost sat just over $400,000.
One year later, Beanstalk Child Care Centre has a new building, more staff, and more programs to offer the community of Houston.
“We expanded our program to include an infant/toddler program, which is 12 months to about three years. And then a regular day program, which is three to five years. A preschool program, which we have always had, which is for three and four year olds. And then an after school program as well, for up to 12 kids between the ages of 5 or 4 and enrolled in Kindergarten to age 10,” said Angelique Batley, executive director for the Houston Community Services Association.
Batley said that there is still space for registration and that the current focus of the centre is, “smoothing out and improving our programming, as well as adjusting to the new building and completing the front entry accessibility ramp.”
Dungate Community Forests donated $15,330 to Beanstalk for the construction of the accessibility ramp, which is expected to be finished in the next coming months.
Batley says their latest project is to complete the back yard space and fencing, which they will begin grant writing for soon.
Batley added that there is still registration room available at Beanstalk for their full time day care and preschool classes.
“We are looking forward to continuing to grow our facility. We have learned a lot over the last year. We have some new staff and we are enjoying the development and changes that come from that,” said Batley.
For more information on Beanstalk fully time day care and preschool programming, contact Amanda Tobin at 250-845-7777.