GREENSTONE — Opportunities abound in the north – especially if you like working with kids.
The municipality of Greenstone has announced the EarlyON Child and Family Centre in the Geraldton Ward will be closed for the months of July and August.
The program is scheduled to reopen on Sept. 3.
Mayor Jamie McPherson told Dougall Media the closure was necessary to ensure adequate staffing and meet the ministry of education’s requirements for qualifications and ratios at the Geraldton and Longlac Day Care centres.
“Our priority at the moment – if we don’t have enough staff – is keeping the daycare open because the EarlyON Centre supervisor/coordinator is qualified to work in the daycare.
“We really need some more staff so we can keep everything open,” he said.
On that note, he invited individuals who are qualified to apply on the municipality’s website.
Currently, the Geraldton and Longlac Day Care centres are both seeking applicants – specifically for registered early childhood educators and teacher’s aides.
McPherson said the municipality has been struggling to find people to fill casual and full-time positions, in childcare and across the board.
“The biggest thing is that we want to maintain the daycares, keep those open, and as soon as we can find staff – the EarlyON Centres. Come September when vacation season is largely done, then the centres reopen with minimal disruption.
“The key is us somehow finding staff so that we can keep the centres open.
“With the mine up-and-running and with the other agencies in the community, there is work and people are working so we need to find more people who want to come work up in the north,” McPherson said.
