The District of Muskoka has selected Muskoka Family Focus out of two qualifying bidders to run the Fairvern Early Learning and Child Care Centre.
The Centre will provide 64 new licensed childcare spaces for children up to the age of four.
According to a report provided to the District last year, staff was directed to proceed to secure the design and construction of the Fairvern Early Learning and Child Care Centre at a total cost of $5,566,805, of which $576,000 was provided through a Ministry of Education grant.
“The Town of Huntsville, the largest municipality in the District, benefits from less than 25% of the licensed spaces despite having almost 37% of Muskoka’s day care aged children. Additional supply is required in the community to offset this disparity and address growing demand,” states a report provided to the District’s Community and Planning Services Committee by Heather Elliott, Director of Human Services.
The program is part of the Canada Wide Early Learning and Child Care system. The report states that to increase the access rate in Huntsville, the Directed Growth Strategy includes 142 centre-based spaces targeted to Huntsville (not including Home Child Care), comprised of:
- 103 community-based spaces (Huntsville Riverside Child Care Centre, which opened in early 2024, and the Fairvern Early Learning and Child Care (FELCC) Centre; and
- 39 school-based spaces
Muskoka Family Focus and Children’s Place (MFF&CP) is a not-for-profit childcare organization that was incorporated in 1987.
You can find the staff report HERE.
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I think this is a wonderful initiative bringing generations together and will provide untold benefits for all involved.