A licensed Gabriola daycare program run by the Hope Centre will not be closing its doors this fall after all, although it will no longer be running a fulltime program.

HOPE Centre Executive Director Alice Verstraete said Wednesday that in response to feedback from the community, the centre will offer families with children 30 months to five years old a Monday and Wednesday morning preschool program from 9 to 11:30 am, and an afternoon preschool program from 12:30 to 3 pm. She said on Tuesdays and Thursdays the centre will also offer “a full-day childcare program from 9 am to  3 pm”.

As previously reported, in July Verstraete thought she would have to close the program because there were not enough children registered to keep it running. However, she said, after informing parents of the decision to close the centre, she was flooded with calls asking her not to do so.

She asked parents to contact her to help her sort out what childcare services are needed.

“Registration for a preschool session is $65 per month”, Verstraete said, “and a full day childcare session is $142 per month. We still need six children enrolled to make a session work”.

“We will have an open house on August 28 from 3:30 to 5 pm at the HOPE House”, Verstraete said,  “to familiarise (parents and children) with our facility, and meet Christina Colbourn who will be the Early Childhood Educator for these sessions”. She said parents may register their children for any of the sessions that would work for them by calling her at the HOPE Centre at 250-247-8730 or emailing hopecentre@shaw.ca.