YWCA Thanks Vancity For Funding To Keep Child Care Centre Open

September 7, 2010 - Vancouver, BC: The YWCA Citygate Early Learning and Care Centre can remain open and continue to operate in the long term, thanks to a funding partnership with Vancity (Vancouver City Savings Credit Union).  

The YWCA has subsidized Citygate - a child care centre care for children aged three to five, 25 per cent of whom have special needs—by more than $1 million over the past ten years but had planned to close the facility in August 2010 due to budget shortfalls.

The funding being received from Vancity will cover close to 50 per cent of Citygate’s deficit. However, operational changes are still required to meet the remaining budget shortfall. These changes include:

• Increasing fees to be in line with market rates
• Reducing staffing complement from a 1:6 ratio to a 1:8 ratio,  the norm for other child care centres
• Serving fewer special needs children

“We’re extremely pleased that Vancity has stepped in and allowed us to continue providing quality child care spaces to our families,” says YWCA Vancouver CEO Janet Austin. “Vancity is clearly an organization that values early learning for children and is showing leadership in supporting the YWCA’s work in child care.”

Vancity has been supporting YWCA Vancouver since 1992, giving to programs that help teen mothers, women leaving abusive relationships, families in the Downtown Eastside, single mothers and women looking for career mentorship.  Now,  they have shown commitment to early childhood learning.
Following a re-application process that took place earlier this year, the City of Vancouver will also allow the YWCA to continue operating Citygate in its current location..

YWCA Vancouver is a registered charity, providing a range of integrated services for women and their families, and those seeking to improve the quality of their lives. From early learning and care to housing, health and fitness, employment services and leadership, YWCA Vancouver touches lives in communities throughout Metro Vancouver.

For further information, please contact:

Puspa Affandi                                     
Communications Coordinator                                   
YWCA Vancouver                                          
604 895 5767                                                                                                 
paffandi@ywcavan.org