Departure Bay Elementary Eco-School is piloting a provincial daycare program to offer seamless care for kindergarten to grade two students. (Kyle Ireland/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Alex Rawnsley

easy transition

Seamless daycare program opening at Nanaimo’s Departure Bay Elementary

Oct 20, 2021 | 2:17 PM

NANAIMO — An expanded provincial pilot project is looking to cut the disruption for young children between school and daycare.

One kindergarten classroom at Nanaimo’s Departure Bay Elementary Eco-School will become a licensed daycare for before and after-school care, providing continuous supervision for young students at the school.

Jacquie Poulin, SD68 director of instruction for learning and innovation, told NanaimoNewsNOW the pilot aims to reduce the amount of shuttling some kids do throughout the day from class to care.

“We know having to move from one spot to another to another throughout the day can be difficult for them, so being able to have a program where there’s continuity of space, continuity of people and continuity of expectations just helps them settle and adjust.”

Licensing will be for up to 12 children, all at Departure Bay Elementary from kindergarten through second grade students.

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An early childhood educator (ECE) will open the classroom early in the morning and work with the kindergarten teacher through a portion of the day, before being replaced by another educator for the afternoon and after-school sessions.

The ECE’s will be employed by the school district by way of the provincial pilot program. Success or failure of the pilot will be measured by enrollment and school feedback.

“How manageable was it, what could we do, what were the challenges, what were the struggles and how manageable would it be moving forward,” Poulin said.

A handful of schools applied to an expression of interest put out by SD68 earlier in the year, with Departure Bay selected.

Criteria for selection ranged from school facilities to currently available daycare and after-school care in the neighbourhood around each school.

Poulin didn’t have a firm start date for the program, with the district at the mercy of the licensing process, but said she’s optimistic of being able to open up in the first few months of 2022.

Departure Bay parents will be advised when registration for the spots is open. It’s hoped the pilot will run for at least a couple of years, but it is subject to provincial funding.

Expanding the Seamless Day Kindergarten program allows one school in 21 districts around B.C. to take part.

Four schools benefited from the initiative in 2020, including Errington Elementary in the Qualicum School District.

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alex.rawnsley@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @alexrawnsley