Two Indigenous-led daycare centres to open in Chatham-Kent

Two new Indigenous-led childcare centres are opening up in Southwestern Ontario next month.

The Ska:na Family Learning Centre has partnered with the municipality of Chatham-Kent to open new centres in Chatham-Kent and Wallaceburg. 

"We are super excited to be serving a large population in Ontario. It's amazing," Faith Hale, said the executive director of the Ska:na Family Learning Centre. 

The Ska:na Family Learning Centre, a non-profit organization has seven childcare locations and four EarlyON child and family sites across Southwestern Ontario.

The need for more Indigenous-led daycare centres was based on a growing need of services for urban families as well as an increasing population of Indigenous people coming to Chatham-Kent for work and school.

According to Hale, Indigenous people make up four per cent of the population in Chatham-Kent. 

Kelly Emery, director of Children's Services for the Municipality of Chatham-Kent, stressed the importance of relevant programming for the Indigenous population in the area.

"We do not currently have any Indigenous child-care centres off-reserve in Chatham-Kent," Emery said.  

Forty-nine spots will be available in both locations and while the daycare centres are Indigenous-run with an Indigenous board of directors, all families in the region are welcome to register. 

LISTEN | Faith Hale speak on truth and reconciliation and what Ska:na Family Learning Centre will bring to the community

The two new sites were funded by the Ministry of Education, through community-based capital funding, which was requested by the municipality of Chatham-Kent. 

The core teaching in the daycare centres will be on achieving a balanced life. 

According to Hale, Ska:na means creators peace. 

"We raised children in peace," she said. "We support our staff first to make sure their needs are met. That there's a celebratory spirit in all of our work and everything that we do so that we can give that to the families and community," Hale said. 

Though much of the teaching will be infused with cultural traditions and practices, Emery said all of the mandated ministry requirements around licensed programs will be followed. .

"Now that we're understanding more about Truth and Reconciliation, I think there is a real need for people to have a better understanding of our Indigenous families in our community," she said.

"I think this is just one step in that direction."