This July, St, Vital will welcome a much-needed, summer child care program for school-aged kids at Windsor Community Centre.

The Little Saints Learning Centre will launch the full-time program on July 4 and it will run through Aug. 30.

Last summer, led by executive director, Candice Savage, Little Saints opened a second full-time daycare at 5 St Vital Rd. for infants to kindergarteners. That second location is already running smoothly but Little Saints feels there are still child care needs in the community that aren’t being met.

Over the years, families have often complained about the lack of full-time summer options for school-aged children in St. Vital.

Each spring, parents scramble to plan their holidays and make arrangements for their kids— everything from trying to find a summer space in a regular full-time program to juggling a variety of expensive day camps in different locations.

Savage has previous experience running a school-age program and threw her energy into trying to find a way to open a new full-time summer program at Windsor.

According to Savage, the goal for Little Saints’ new program is “to provide a quality child-care program for students through the summer.”

She hopes that having a full-time summer program may be a helpful way to transition some of the children currently in daycare to kindergarten. Attending a program with older children may build their confidence and ease some of the fear and uncertainty that normally comes with the very first day of school.

The Windsor Community Centre in Elm Park is an ideal location and set-up. The basement was completely renovated in 2015 specifically for school-age child care. It is used by Windsor Cares for Kids (WCFK), a before- and after-school program, during the school year but is empty through the summer.

A partnership between Little Saints, WCFK, and the community centre has made this much-needed summer child care program a reality.

The program will operate from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. every day, and there are 45 full-time spots available. There will also be many field trips and community outings and activities to keep the children active and engaged.

Windsor Community Centre is right next to Windsor School, with several playgrounds, the YMCA, and the St. Vital Library all within walking distance, an ideal location for busy summer activities and close to the families that will need it.

For more information or to register, please contact Little Saints Learning Centre, 204-257-2241 or email lslc@mymts.net.

This article was originally published on April 9 in the Winnipeg Free Press.