Prince Albert charity to open nature-based daycare

Children play in this handout photo HOP Youth.

The Saskatchewan Ministry of Education has approved House of the Potters' (HOP Youth) application for a new daycare on their property northwest of Prince Albert.

“The fact that our property is so big, with so much nature to explore makes it great for kids,” said HOP Youth chief managing officer Larissa LeBlanc.

HOP Youth was granted a license for 46 not-for-profit child care spaces.

The charity currently operates a preschool. The group would expand its services to a five-day-a-week daycare, with eight or more staff.

LeBlanc says the new daycare will focus on nature-based programming with ample outdoor activities.

“Studies show that kids actually do better academically later on with more exposure to nature. And it also builds their love of being out in nature,” said LeBlanc.

Indigenous culture-based educational programming would also be part of day-to-day activities at the daycare, including visits from elders, says LeBlanc.

The charity is looking to add an addition to the existing building or build another building to provide daycare services.

Hop Youth bought its existing building and 57-acre parcel of land in March 2021 to operate after-school youth groups such as Little Warriors, Modern Warriors and teen gang prevention programming.

“Now that we’ve been here, the daycare is a logical step,” said LeBlanc. “We thought it would be great for the younger kids to be able to come here as well.”

Prince Albert was among 21 communities in Saskatchewan to receive approval for new, affordable child care spaces. In total, 1,202 new licensed child care spaces will be created in the province in the coming months.

A five-year, $1.2 billion dollar commitment from the federal government to Saskatchewan made way for the new spaces.

LeBlanc says her education and “her heart” is in early childhood development and she’s excited about the venture.

The provincial-federal commitment to child care aims to create 28,000 new daycare spaces in the province by March 2026.

With an average of 50 per cent child care fee reductions already announced in the province, the Government of Canada says its goal is to bring down average fees for regulated child care to $10-a-day by March 2026.