Awasis Child Care Centre opens its doors

Posted: September 18, 2015 3:00 p.m.

The children celebrating the grand opening of the Awasis Child Care Centre with President Vianne Timmons and the Minister of Education Don Morgan. Photo: Rae Graham - U of R Photography.

University of Regina President and Vice-Chancellor Dr. Vianne Timmons and Education Minister The Honourable Don Morgan celebrated the grand opening of the Awasis Child Care Centre.

The new Centre, located in Kīšik Towers, is licensed to accommodate 90 children for Regina families thanks to the Government of Saskatchewan’s $1.34 million investment.

The opening of the new Centre also allows the Wascana Daycare Cooperative to expand their child care spaces to 90 from 45 in the College West building previously shared with Awasis.

The new spaces at the Wascana Daycare Centre are expected to be available next spring, bringing the total number of child care spaces to 180 at the University of Regina campus. While the child care spaces in both Centres are prioritized for children of university students, spaces are also available for Regina families.

“The inability to find safe and reliable child care can be an educational barrier for students with young families, so the new Awasis Child Care Centre will be an important source of support for many of our students at the University of Regina,” said President Timmons. “At the same time, this facility will serve families in the larger Regina community, so I am pleased that the provincial government recognized our collective need and partnered with the University to help address it in this way.”

Since November 2007, the Government of Saskatchewan has made a record investment in licensed child care, allocating funding for 4,935 new child care spaces to communities across the province. This brings the total commitment of child care spaces in Saskatchewan to more than 14,200.

“We’ve been fortunate over the past several years to see many young families decide to put down roots and raise their children here in Saskatchewan,” said Minister Morgan. “As a government, we’re proud to have responded to the need of these families by making record investments to expand child care options throughout the province. I know this facility in particular will make a big difference in the lives of university students with young children.”

To read more about the Awasis Child Care Centre please visit here.