Sophia Munden
Katlyn Hill
Acadia University
Kent Williams
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The Growing Our Future Childcare Cooperative is the first childcare center that offers an enhanced childcare services model in the Town of Channel-Port Aux Basques. This daycare was created to address the need in the community for childcare services. This model is quite different from other capitalistic models in which the daycare owner/operator makes the decisions on the day-to-day operations. Through the cooperative model, parents and community members pay a $100 share into the daycare which gets reinvested back into the community through various services the daycare provides. This center has created positive economic growth in the community through the various jobs it provides as well as created an early childhood education learning space for the children which directly impacts the sustainability of the community. This center solves SDG #3- Good health and well-being, #4- Quality Education, #8- Decent work and economic growth & #11- Sustainable cities and communities.
After identifying the need in the community for childcare, initial discussions about the formation of a childcare co-operative began in late 2014 with the suggestion from another local co-operative, Atlantic Edge Credit Union, that the co-operative model could be uniquely suited to move the childcare initiative forward. On January 16, 2015, the first official meeting of the yet-to-be-named co-operative group was held and discussions on the co-operative structure and next steps took place. It was at this stage that key partnerships were identified and consultation with strategic partners began to take form.
From the Public Engagement Session that was held in February 2015, an interim steering committee was formed from interested residents to move the childcare initiative forward. The committee has a variety of backgrounds from healthcare to business and this expertise will contribute extensively to the effective development of the initiative. The following are the interim steering committee members: Candace Matthews, Krystle Collier, Shauna Strickland, Jodie Mercer, Cory Munden, Bruce Willis, Janet Willis & Michelle Barter.
Following the engagement of regional residents at the public meeting, the newly formed interim steering committee began the process of determining the exact childcare needs of the area to establish the most effective course to proceed.
The Growing our Future Childcare Co-operative was formed by a group of concerned citizens recognizing the need for quality, regulated childcare services and the social, financial and economic benefits to the community that a childcare center can provide. For there to be sustainable economic benefits for our region, full time, high quality, licensed childcare centre needs to be available to families. This center opens up opportunities for low-income families to avail of financial support to utilize the center and also remain affordable to other users based on its co-operative model status. Income will be used to pay operating costs and to ensure stability of the service.
The co-operative model of enterprise development is uniquely suited to meet the needs of all community stakeholders. In this case, the co-op model allows for concerned citizens and those that will be the end-users of the service to come together to provide real solutions to an important social-economic issue: the lack of adequate childcare services. The most important thing to understand about how a co-op works is the fact that it starts with a perceived need and the will of a few dedicated people, working together.
“The community is so giving, The College of North Atlantic's carpentry course does a project every year and this year, they are building a mini home for the children that will have windows, doors, and shingles. Seeing how accepted and appreciated the daycare is in the community even by people who aren't actively using the services is such a motivating experience” – Geneva Taylor
Various community groups have been exploring the possibility and searching desperately for a site to house a registered childcare for the Southwest Coast region for the past nine years. While there was a full needs assessment completed, the largest obstacles identified were a sponsoring organization that would provide the service and the lack of a suitable and cost effective space to house a regulated childcare centre. The main differentiator in the current efforts comes with the key sponsoring agency, Atlantic Edge Credit Union. With a prominent organization leading the initiative, a cooperative approach was suggested for the organizational structure. Also, the Credit Union has made financial resources available to overcome the largest obstacle of previous attempts, a suitable facility.
Research showed that informal care arrangements that many families are forced to rely on in the absence of available accessible licensed child care options do not contribute to regional economic development in the same way that a system of high quality child care would. When two parent families face labour market issues that discourage their work involvement (such as a local job market that is limited to one sector, shift work, etc.) and there is the added stress of complicated child care arrangements, they often decide that they are “better off” financially and emotionally by having one parent not work (for single parent families, this is not likely to be an option at all).
Having access to a Cooperative licensed child care facility allows many families the opportunity to re-evaluate their current situations leading to a potential increase in employment capacity. This subsequently benefits employers, giving them improved access to talent. Having access to high-quality child care further supports employers in their pursuits toward attracting new talent to the Southwest region as many families currently consider the lack of available high-quality child care as a deterrent to moving to this area; this has been a hindrance to economic growth.
“We wanted to go out to the community and seek an opportunity where we could make a difference in our community. And in the Port aux Basques and surrounding area, child-care services was certainly lacking.” Cory Munden CEO of Atlantic Edge Credit Union
The impact of the daycare being a cooperative organization, was that a fulfilling and sustainable environment for business operations was created. This promoted collaborative growth within the business from surrounding organizations, community members, and even parents. This brought a positive incentive for the people of Channel-Port Aux Basques to put their money into an organization that they trusted and were truly a part of. With this, the impact on society was only positive as community members were able to witness something they needed for so long, regulated childcare, finally become accessible. Numerous parents were able to return to work, and properly support their family with no stress of the wellbeing of their children. The town also saw a tremendous "coming together" of community members as everyone lended a hand in the creation of this centre. Along with the people benefitting from this innovation, the environment did as well. As per the regulated childcare provided by the centre, the children in attendance have dedicated time outside with the nature. They learn many valuable and sustainable practices that will benefit the future of our environment, such as effective planting.
The short-term effects of the innovation include parents being able to return to work and efficiently support their families. So many members of the community faced the struggle of underpinning their households whilst having no employment or educational childcare for their kids. Yet now they are able to take action to bring these things back to a balance and reduce stress in their homes and amongst their families. Among the long-term effects of the childcare centre include families being more drawn to the community. Now with a regulated childcare facility, families coming into Channel-Port Aux Basques can feel more secure about the wellbeing of their children. This also promotes economic prosper as the town's economy was suffering from the lack of childcare. Other benefits include the children being more sustainably minded entering elementary school, and that overall, the town is more sustainably charged.
Concrete evidence of this impact occurring is the constant support flowing in from the community such a the college project being donated for the children. Along with this, the kids are actively learning about important topics leaving them with an ethical skillset to bring into elementary school. "The kids are even learning about things like diversity, including pink shirt day, and orange shirt day" - Geneva Taylor. It is clear that the Growing Our Future Childcare Co-operative is making a positive impact on the town.
The benefit this innovation had on the business was that sustainable and ethical practices were implemented. Operating as a cooperative, the organization can thrive being supported by members of the community and the parents of the children in attendance. This promotes sustainability to not only the town of Channel-Port Aux Basques, but to the children who are learning in the daycare. Because the business chose to operate in this manner, parents can now rebuild their families and put their money into something they support and are truly passionate about. Not to mention, seeing the action being taken by the Growing Our Future Childcare Co-operative to foster a safe and educational environment for their children.
The organization has also seen numerous other benefits adapting this way of operating, such as the community members coming together to help create this growing childcare system. We previously mentioned that a college group is donating their mini home project for the children of the daycare, fostering a true sense of community. The business also benefitted in ways such as becoming a key factor in new incoming families’ decision to reside in the town. Knowing that regulated childcare is available in a new town is such an important factor in these big decisions, which the GOFCC has solidified. Finally, all profits made through the daycare, go directly back to the centre, making the business thrive from the support it is given, showing the community what its values truly are.
The Growing Our Future Childcare Cooperative has many benefits to both the community and society as a whole. This is because of the cooperative model in which it operates. Because it follows the cooperative principles and actively engages with the community, it results in a more sustainable future for all. Everyone from the children at the daycare to the community members who support the center are positively impacted by this organization. This center has created a more sustainable future for the community as it has given families throughout the southwest coast an established childcare resource. This has had a domino effect leading to more parents being able to work and the community working together to create a more positive social impact and space for children to prepare for the transition to elementary school.
Partnerships created with the town and community members have directly contributed to the success of this model. It’s the perfect example of the kind of sustainable business model we should be moving towards in the future. The community members' money that is invested is reinvested back into the community where it creates economic growth and local support. The Growing Our Future Childcare Cooperative is one of the best things to ever happen in the Town of Channel Port Aux Basques. The community has seen nothing but success and benefits from it. This model will have lasting effects on the community, the region and the province for years to come while hopefully inspiring others to create more sustainable models like it.
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Geneva Taylor, Regional Manager of Branch Operations
The Growing Our Future Childcare Cooperative is the first childcare center that offers an enhanced childcare services model in the Town of Channel-Port Aux Basques. This daycare was created to address the need in the community for childcare services. This model is quite different from other capitalistic models in which the daycare is a cooperative. Through the cooperative model, parents and community members pay a $100 share into the daycare which gets reinvested back into the community through various services the daycare provides.