There is a heavy demand for child-care in St. Albert, which is why the Bambini Group chose to make Jensen Lakes the location for their newest child-care centre.
“St. Albert is a young community, and I think we were looking for an environment that actually would be a good backdrop for our program, for our values, and for our brand. And we loved the idea of having a lake nearby with trails and the beach, and a lot of parks in the area,” said Teresa Anselmo the CEO and founder.
On June 25, the Bambini Group held a ground-breaking ceremony for the facility, which has been partially funded with federal and provincial cash.
During the ceremony, Mayor Cathy Heron said the city made some changes that allowed for more affordable housing and Jenson Lakes has become a place for young families.
“We're seeing a community of younger people, younger generations … and with the younger generation comes the need for child care. This facility, which I see is going to be quite large, is going to be very warmly welcomed, but very needed in St. Albert,” said Heron.
The 10,000-square-foot building in Jensen lakes will be open in early 2022 and will offer about 160 spaces for full- and part-time child care for children 12 months of age to 12 years old. There is, however, a 200-person wait list.
Anselmo said child care isn’t the only service they will be offering. The facility will host community workshops, support groups, and cooking classes for parents.
“We believe it takes a village to raise a child, so we start by providing support to communities to families,” said Anselmo.
The Bambini Group received $455,000 through the Early Learning and Child Care agreement, a partnership between the federal government and the province.
Back in March, the province announced $9.7 million in grants for operators to create 1,500 child-care spaces. The funding was made available through its Early Learning and Child Care agreement with the federal government.
The project approved 206 building grants in the Edmonton area, including 24 for overnight spaces, however there are no overnight spaces in St. Albert, yet.
MLA Dale Nally said he has a feeling those spaces will come. Bill 39 – the Child Care Licensing (Early Learning and Child Care) Amendment Act – opened the door for operators to offer overnight child care.
“I have a feeling, from what I've heard from other jurisdictions that have done it, the uptake is very good,” he said.
Nally said this child-care centre is a large part of the province's recovery plan and getting people back to work, as it allows residents to get quality child care.
“Money should follow the child and (we should) give parents as much choice as possible,” he said.
Overall, Nally said he is excited to see another business open up in Alberta.
“I am just excited that we have another business, which is an example of what happens when you reduce taxes and cut red tape, and it's also a testament to the entrepreneurial spirit of Alberta."
