April 2011, Vancouver: Budding Children's Garden & Daycare offers a new childcare option for modern families, answering the call for variable care, and extended hours. The centre, set to open in Sept. 2011, is the first of its kind in Vancouver, offering high-quality childcare, delivered by trained Early Childhood Educators (ECE), on an occasional basis.
Owner and educator at the centre, Lawrence Erickson explained the importance of offering professional care around the needs of the families he serves.
"The regular work-day doesn't always mean 8 hours at a workplace anymore. Part-time work, variable shifts, or stay-at-home parents can all use a few hours of occasional care. Especially when the social benefits to their children can be easily scheduled around other commitments. We saw an opportunity to provide that option to families who, like us, don't necessarily fall into that old-fashioned definition of "normal."
"We know how hard parents work to make sure their children are well cared-for, but we don't think they should have to work that hard to accommodate the rules and restrictions of their childcare. At Buddings, we balance the well-being and development of the children while acknowledging that parents have needs too."
Occasional care means a maximum of 40 hours per month, and Erickson says the demand for shorter hours, if they are conveniently scheduled, is higher than people realize.
"We spoke to over a hundred families, and the response was very clear. Given the option, parents would rather pay a bit more per hour and use less time, which means that our centre will be able to serve almost four times as many families. Our hours, from 10am - 7pm, adds that extra bit of time at the end of the day when parents need it.
"It's not for everyone, of course, but for the families who otherwise wouldn't necessarily need to put their kids in an early learning environment, Buddings provides the opportunity, at their convenience.