Latest news with #daycare
CBC
5 hours ago
- Business
- CBC
Another potential daycare is being stalled, and child-care providers are frustrated
A St. John's daycare operator has his sights set on opening another location, but it might not happen anytime soon. Coady Hardy opened the for-profit Little Stars daycare centre with his wife in September 2024. All of its 120 spaces are filled, with more families on the waitlist. He says getting the funding, permits and approval to finish that project was a smooth process. Hardy assumed it would be the same when he applied to develop a non-profit daycare with 100 spaces in the old Pipers store in the Kelligrews neighbourhood of Conception Bay South. He and his wife have the space, and the plan, but things have been slow-moving so far. "We thought this was going to be, you know, a no-brainer," Hardy told CBC News on Monday. "I don't know if there's a few hiccups on the Department of Education side… we've been just waiting." WATCH | Coady Hardy wants to open a daycare, but has been waiting on government for months: St. John's daycare operator latest to voice frustration with government delays 3 hours ago Duration 2:22 Coady Hardy is the latest person to face a long wait to open a new daycare centre in Newfoundland and Labrador, telling CBC News he's been waiting months for a green light from the provincial government. Heather Gillis reports. According to emails and documents he forwarded to CBC, Hardy was in contact with an architect, a contractor and the Department of Education before applying for the Create a Space Incentive Grant in November 2024. He's been emailing back and forth with the provincial department since then, and has been met with delays and minimal responses. The application was "moved forward for signature" in February, according to an email from a director of regional operations. Hardy asked Education Minister Bernard Davis for an update in May, and still hasn't heard back. CBC News asked the minister for an interview, but he isn't answering questions. Department of Education spokesperson Lynn Robinson sent an emailed statement. "The department carefully evaluates each submission to ensure a thorough and fair assessment process. The process considers overall project timelines, commitments to other child care projects, and long-term viability of projects," the statement said, in part. 'Child care is critical' Hardy is frustrated. "The government is not waiting on us anymore. We're waiting on them. Like, we were ready to break ground in Kelligrews as soon as the frost was gone," said Hardy. "We planned to open in October, and that is not gonna happen now." He isn't the only one facing barriers. The YWCA in St. John's is working on a child-care centre in a health-care facility, but its executive director says finding the finances to make that happen is difficult. "The delays that we are experiencing is really to make the numbers work right," said Maria Gentle. She said bureaucratic delays are natural, and she understands that the government takes time to ensure spaces are safe— but they should be speedy, too. Gentle said it doesn't only benefit young children and their parents, but child care also supports immigration and women in the workforce. "If the goal is for the province to build non-profit child care, the support really needs to be in place for non-profits to build," said Gentle. On the other side of the island in St. George's, a group of child care providers are pushing the government to approve their applications for permits and grants to open a daycare of their own. The province's 2025 budget included $3.9 million to create more child-care spaces. Advocate Yolande Pottie-Sherman says it's not enough. "What we're hearing on the ground is that for each group that's trying a building [renovation], it's costing… around $700,000," she told CBC. By those figures, the government money would only fully cover five projects. Pottie-Sherman said that might be one reason why it's taking so long for some projects to get approved. At the same time, she thinks the government needs to step up and provide more money. "Early learning and child care is critical to sustaining and making sure that Newfoundland and Labrador can thrive as a society," she said. Pottie-Sherman describes the province as a child-care desert.
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- General
- Daily Mail
My son caught world's most infectious disease and could suffer permanent damage... my warning to all parents
A mother who lives in the epicenter of the Texas measles outbreak has revealed how her son's infection left her fearing he could suffer permanent brain damage. Alex, from Lubbock, near Gaines County, revealed her baby erupted in the hallmark red and splotchy measles rash and developed a dangerously high fever after he was exposed at daycare to the virus — the most infectious in the world. At eight months old, he was too young to have received the measles vaccine — which is normally administered for the first time at 12 months old — but there is a high proportion of unvaccinated people in the area, which is experiencing a record-high case count. Earlier this month, the US officially reported 1,000 measles cases in 2025 — marking only the second time case counts have crossed this threshold since the disease was declared eradicated in 2000. And officials are warning if the disease continues to spread unabated, the US could lose its measles elimination status. Alex said her son was exposed to measles on April 3, after another parent sent their child to daycare despite having another child at home who was infected with the virus. She said: 'If you're not going to vaccinate, at the very least, don't send your sick kids to daycare. My baby now has measles.' She was alerted to the infection by the daycare, and immediately isolated her baby — thinking for the first few days that they were in the clear. Then, on April 10, the little boy developed a mild fever, became sluggish and had congestion and a cough. After she took him to see a doctor on April 13, she was told they could see small, white spots on the inside of his cheeks — a sign of a measles infection. The next day an angry, red rash erupted, which spread down from his hairline to his face before eventually overtaking his whole body. The worried mother-of-two posted videos of her son's rash online, where her baby appeared tearful, listless and completely covered in the rash. Alex was extremely concerned her son's infection could turn fatal or leave him with lasting side effects. She said on her TikTok: 'Apart from brain swelling, I'm mostly concerned about secondary pneumonia.' Measles can cause brain inflammation, also known as encephalitis. It is a serious side effect of the virus and can cause permanent brain damage. The CDC reports it occurs in about one in 1,000 cases. Additionally, pneumonia can lead to septic shock, respiratory failure and even kidney and lung damage. Measles is the most infectious disease in the world, with an infected person able to pass the disease to nine out of 10 people exposed who are unvaccinated. It is particularly dangerous to young children, with the CDC saying one in 20 unvaccinated children who are infected develop pneumonia while one in 1,000 suffer from encephalitis — swelling of the brain that can cause permanent damage. One to three in every 1,000 unvaccinated children who are infected die from the disease. Many people commenting on Alex's videos were quick to say the disease did not appear to be a mild illness, with some even saying it motivated them to get their children vaccinated. One wrote: 'My mother told me measles wasn't that bad when I told her I won't travel with my baby because of the outbreak. I sent her this and she changed her mind. My heart hurts for your baby.' A second said: 'I'm so sorry your little angel is going through this. My son got his six months shots today, and I elected to get the MMR early because of your video.' Texas is in the grips of America's biggest measles outbreak in two decades — mostly among young children. Two young and unvaccinated girls, ages six and eight, have died as a result of the outbreak. After two days of the rash, Alex posted it was beginning to calm down — saying she felt they were now over the worst of the virus. Her son was not hospitalized for the disease, but was treated at home to help reduce the symptoms. In another video, she detailed what she gave to her son to help with the infection. She gave him Tylenol and Motrin for the fever and budesonide, a prescription drug used to reduce inflammation. He also received antibiotics to head-off any secondary infections, because measles weakens the immune system — raising the risk of other illnesses. The mother only let her baby sleep lying down on her chest throughout the illness, and kept using cool baths and washcloths to try to lower his temperature. She also gave him the probiotic Ther-Biotic Baby for his gut, and cod liver oil - an unproven remedy touted by Robert F Kennedy Jr - to boost his levels of Vitamin A and D. Her baby had mostly recovered by April 17, with his rash having disappeared. Alex showed him crawling and smiling again. The mother said she posted her son's illness online to warn others over measles, with doctors being quick to comment saying this was the first modern case recorded publicly that they had seen. Alex has another child who has been vaccinated against measles, and she said she was not pro- or anti-vaccine, but felt it was important for everyone to work together to stop the disease from spreading.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Your Daily MomScope for June 01, 2025
It takes a village to raise a child. Sometimes we need a little extra guidance from the stars to manage motherhood. Momscope is here to help. It's a great day to launch a new exercise regime. Your body needs to move and your brain will appreciate your pumping some endorphins its way. If you don't want to go it alone, join a class or find a workout buddy. This is a day when you want to pay attention to the details -- which is a very good thing when you think of it. You just might catch something in the tyke's homework, saving their final grade. Thoughts may be misread today. There's a surefire way around this, though -- verbalize as much as you can. Impress this upon your tyke if they're reserved and quiet. Hear them out and find out what's going on. This is a good day to connect with others. You have only to issue some dinner invitations for them to be accepted with relish. Your culinary skills will be appreciated, especially by a new mom from day care. You might feel a bit more introverted than usual today and may not want to spend time with the gang. A solitary lunch hour will suit you fine. And spending some quality time with baby will feel just right as well. Feeling lost with your career? Guidance is one click away! If you're feeling less than vibrant, it's most likely because you've been over-analyzing things. Give your mind a rest! Join the tyke for a round of kite flying or just staring at the clouds for a while. Watch and learn from your baby today. Like how they never seem to hold grudges -- even when another child snatches away their favorite toy. Maybe you should take this to heart when it comes to that grasping coworker. You may find that you're no match for the tyke in the great debate. All your carefully crafted arguments fall flat in the face of 'But why can't I?'. You never had a chance, really. Avoid rushing today if you can, especially on the job. Undue haste will make you overlook important details -- important to your boss. Just take everything one step at a time today, and you'll be fine. You can cut through red tape with surgical precision today. Use this skill to further projects that involve long-term planning. Which could be a charitable event or getting the tyke into that exclusive day care. You and the other half can't seem to get the agendas in synch. Unless you do, it will be impossible to find time to spend together. Once you get the carpool and other schedules sorted out, it will all fall into place. Your baby is so clever at figuring out how things work, today you may feel they need no help from you. But when they feed that graham cracker to the cat, you realize you still have work to do. Lots of work. Find your cosmic purpose. Receive personalized astrological guidance with Astrology+.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Abbeville's Rodeo Road speed limit increased to 25 MPH for safety reasons
ABBEVILLE, La. (KLFY)–Drivers should notice a new speed limit on Rodeo Road from Highway 14 bypass to North Airport Road. Councilman Francis Plaisance of District B said the location has a nursing home, daycare and is a deaf child area. 'I met with the daycare center staff and owners and they agree that the speed limit 15 was just too low.' Plaisance said. 'It needed to be increased and I met with the public works director and we decided together that a uniform speed would be appropriate for the whole road there. So we changed it to 25 because from Highway 14 bypass to Broadmoor Road, it was a 15, and then beyond that it was 35. So we decided to make it uniform 25 all the way.' He said the concerns were presented to him once in office and it didn't take long for it to be resolved. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now 'It's been an ongoing problem for a while and when I got in, it was brought to my attention. I guess people just weren't talking about it too much out in public but the people along there, especially the day care center, they felt like it was not fast. 15 was not fast enough,' Plaisance said. He said he has received comments from people who are satisfied. 'I spoke to the owner of the huge trailer park that's down there and he too agrees that it was fine with him. So everybody seems to be in agreement with the 25 and I think it's going to work better for everybody,' Plaisance said. Some residents took to social media and expressed the speed limit should be more than 25 mph suggesting 35 mph. Others add concerns it might become a speed trap. Whether the change will stick or spark more debate remains to be seen. LWA Heartland Heat comes to Cajundome Convention Center Trump administration unveils more detailed proposal for steep 2026 spending cuts Broussard welcomes new $3 million steel plant with groundbreaking ceremony Abbeville's Rodeo Road speed limit increased to 25 MPH for safety reasons Mental health support crucial for cancer patients in Louisiana Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CTV News
6 days ago
- Health
- CTV News
Parents scrambling with three days' notice about Springbank daycare closure
A surprise announcement that a Springbank daycare is closing by week's end is creating stress for families and businesses caught in the middle. A Springbank daycare is abruptly closing this week, leaving families of 130 children with three days to find alternatives. Springbank Cottage Childcare contacted families on the afternoon of May 27, saying the building is not structurally safe and will permanently shut down on May 30. 'Three days doesn't give anyone a chance to make alternate arrangements,' said Dave Serfas, whose two daughters attend Springbank Cottage Childcare. 'Where are the kids going to go for the summer programs? Now they're all full. We've kind of missed that boat, so what are we supposed to do?' Some parents said they are disappointed by a lack of communication and clarity about the risks. 'There has been a tremendous lack of transparency (and) communication with Rocky View school district,' said Serfas. 'I'm picking my son up there this afternoon. Is it safe for them to be in this building? We are told yes, but then what's not safe about the occupancy come next week?' said Mark Stanley, whose son attends before- and after-school care. A Springbank daycare is abruptly closing this week, leaving families of 130 children with three days to find alternatives. A Springbank daycare is abruptly closing this week, leaving families of 130 children with three days to find alternatives. Families first learned of potential structural concerns with the 1903 former schoolhouse in March, following an engineering assessment. At that point, the building was deemed safe to remain open until September. Rocky View Schools (RVS) said things changed after it commissioned a second, more comprehensive assessment, which found the building unsafe. In a statement, RVS said, 'We recognize this expedited timeline is challenging for families and staff. This was a difficult but necessary decision made in the interest of safety.' 'Springbank is a rural residential community, so these facilities don't exist everywhere out in this area,' said Serfas. Some parents said aside from putting them in a tough situation, the lack of transparency is unsettling. 'Now, it's for all intents and purposes an immediate closure. Along with that immediate closure, Friday that building is unsafe, but there are 130 kids in there (Wednesday),' said Serfas. They agree safety needs to be prioritized but said if the building can safely stay open a few more days, why not three more weeks, until the end of the school year? 'We're so close to the end of the school year. Is it really necessary to create all this turmoil and chaos when we're talking about another three weeks?' said Stanley. 'If the risks are real, then absolutely, safety is a priority, but then that has some bigger questions as to what was previously decided. Either way, there are questions that have to be answered. 'Are the safety risks real? And if they are real, why were our children allowed to be in this building until Friday? And if they're not real, then let's apply some common sense and look at this in a more staged approach.' In a letter to parents, Springbank Cottage Childcare wrote, 'We were served with an order to vacate by Rocky View County requiring us to vacate our current facility by May 30, 2025, despite a previously agreed-upon Sept. 1 timeline. We are actively pursuing an appeal and have submitted a request for a stay of the order.' A Springbank daycare is abruptly closing this week, leaving families of 130 children with three days to find alternatives. A Springbank daycare is abruptly closing this week, leaving families of 130 children with three days to find alternatives. As for the future of the building, RVS said the structural concerns are too severe and costly to fix, so the historic schoolhouse will be demolished this summer. Parents said Springbank Cottage Childcare planned to reopen in a new location in September, and staff are just as shocked by the sudden notice to close. 'I feel terrible for the staff and the actual folks that work at Cottage. It is a family business. They do an amazing job. The kids are always excited to go there, and we're just disappointed,' said Serfas. CTV reached out to Springbank Cottage Childcare and Rocky View County but has not yet heard back.
