Gabriola only school added to school district’s before and after school care program

Having no current childcare provider operating at Gabriola Elementary was a factor in expanding Nanaimo Ladysmith Public Schools’ childcare program to the school, NLPS staff said.

Gabriola Elementary School will join École Hammond Bay and Pleasant Valley Elementary as schools operating district-run before and after school care starting in September.

Not having any onsite before and after school care combined with the results of a survey run last summer to assess childcare needs for ages 0-5 as well as before and after school care on Gabriola and in Cedar and Yellowpoint made Gabriola Elementary a candidate for the district’s program, according to NLPS staff. The school also has space available in the building.

The school district is adding 48 spaces in September with 36 of those going to Gabriola. The remainder will be added to École Hammond Bay’s existing program.

Depending on registration numbers, the childcare program will hire two or three staff, which will either be Education Assistants from the school or a Responsible Adult.

The spaces will be allotted via a lottery system and registration forms must be submitted by June 12 in order to be entered into the lottery. Forms were emailed to families via email and are also available from the GES office. The lottery will be drawn via family name; families with more than one child will get a spot for all their children if their name is drawn. Families must still fill out an individual form for each child.

Of the 36 spots that will be available at Gabriola Elementary, 12 are for before school care and 24 for after school care.

Rachelle Stein-Wotten, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Gabriola Sounder