A long-running EarlyON playgroup in Orléans is set to close at the end of November, leaving families frustrated and concerned about the loss of a key community resource. Parents were informed Friday that the Charlemagne EarlyON Child and Family Centre, operated at St. Peter High School for more than three decades, will shut down on Nov. 30. Allison Bush, a mother of three who has attended the program for years, says the closure came without warning and will leave a major gap for families in the east end. “This is the best playgroup that we’ve been to. It’s just an incredible service for our community,” says Bush. “It came very suddenly, and apparently it’s closing at the end of the month. That’s just a really short time for families to have to pivot, to try to find somewhere else to bring their kids.” She says the centre has long been a lifeline for parents on leave and those struggling with postpartum depression. “It’s such an enriching environment. The providers are incredible. So nurturing, so upbeat,” she says, ”It’s really provided a space for me to be on maternity leave.” While there is another EarlyON centre on Centrum Boulevard, a five-minute drive away, Bush notes the closure will leave some families with few options. “They can’t necessarily drive somewhere far to go to another playgroup,” she says. “The other centres are often very full, so I’m not sure if we go to another centre if they’ll be capacity for us.” EarlyON Child and Family Centres offer free drop-in programs for children up to age six, along with support, information and community connections for parents and caregivers. The centres focus on helping families give young children the best possible start in life. In a statement to CTV News Ottawa, the Ottawa Catholic School Board says the space currently used for the Charlemagne EarlyON drop-in centre will be transitioned back to classroom use at St. Peter High School. “This change is necessary to support the growing number of students at St. Peter High School, which is operating beyond its capacity,” the board says. “We know this change will be disappointing for many families who have built strong connections through the Charlemagne EarlyON community, and we want to acknowledge the value this space has held for them. This decision was not made lightly.” The board says its priority is to ensure students have safe and appropriate learning environments, while continuing to support families through community-run EarlyON programs across Ottawa. Bush says she understands the space pressures but hopes the board can find another solution. “We understand that St. Peter’s has capacity issues, like a lot of schools in Orléans and in Ottawa,” she says. “It’s kind of disappointing that they’re just going to cut that service completely. Maybe there’s a creative solution they can come up with to deal with their space issues.” Other families who use the centre share her concern. Childcare provider Aabir Ahmed says her group of six children visit regularly. “We come walking twice a week, it’s a three-minute walk,” she says. “Especially with the very professional people who are taking care of that playgroup, that always helping us, that always giving us the best advice. We don’t have any alternative. We don’t have any place. So, we really would love if this can be kept for us.” Parent Aalia Shahid calls the centre a vital part of her family’s life. “This has been like a second home for me and my kids for the last three years,” she says. “This is something essential for a lot of families.” Courtney Kusz, another parent, says the program played a key role in helping her recognize her son’s autism. “Coming to the Charlemagne EarlyON was one of the first places that let me know that there might be something different about my son, and they pointed me in all the right directions, all the right groups to go to,” she says. “Early intervention is so important for children with autism, and without services like this, a lot of parents may never know that their child is different until they’re already at school age.” She adds that the centre provides a welcoming space for families of all kinds. “It’s just a wonderful community, and I don’t know anywhere else that’s quite as magical as this place,” says Kusz. “We have to protect our kids’ spaces. We have to keep that advocacy going in our community.” Parent Pamela Holland says she’s been reaching out to officials in hopes of saving the program. “Writing the emails out and the letters out to as many people as I can,” she says. “We need to do everything we can to save our centre.” For Sarah De Grasse, who recently moved to Canada, the centre offered a sense of belonging. “I’m a new immigrant, so when I first moved to Orléans, there was no sense of family or home or community, and this place gave me that. And it’s not just another early program or location,” she says. “It’s my second home. I’ll be ready to reach out to the school board, to our local MP, do whatever we can to save the program.” Bush says parents are determined to push for a solution and have started an online petition. “There’s a lot of people who are really passionate about trying to keep it open,” she says. “Hopefully we can come up with a creative solution to deal with the space issue in a way that keeps the program running and everybody happy.” Other EarlyON locations
