A new, $2.1-million child care centre is now open at Stella Maris Catholic Elementary School in Amherstburg.
The site at the Girard Street school is licenced for 73 child care spaces.
The new facility includes a modern kitchen, a large outdoor play area, and rooms for 10 infants,15 toddlers, and 48 preschoolers.
Joumana Tawil, Superintendent of Education at the Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board, says it's great to be able to provide members of the Amherstburg community with a safe environment for their children.
"There has been a lot of interest in the Amherstburg community for this child care centre, and since schools are a great fit for child care spaces, we're happy to be able to provide this to the community within Stella Maris school," she says.
Tawil says it will let families have access to quality child care in a convenient location.
"We have children in the childcare that have older siblings in the school and now the entire family can be in the same building, it's very convenient. The young children in these childcare programs can easily transition into full-day kindergarten programming in a safe and familiar setting," she adds.
The site is being operated by Creative Child Learning Centre, which already operates a child care centre on Murray Street in Amherstburg.
In 2018, the Ministry of Education awarded the Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board $5.8-million to construct three new school-based child care centres. Approximately $2.1 million was allotted for the Stella Maris project.