Children First director calls for gov't support following massive losses

The executive director of Inuvik's Children First daycare is appealing for government support, pointing to recently released financial statements that show hundreds of thousands of dollars in losses.

The daycare held its annual general meeting Thursday night, where outgoing treasurer Jerry Reitman explained that a March storm that damaged the daycare "created very serious financial pressure" for the society that runs the facility.

The storm collapsed the daycare's ceiling, causing it to be closed for months.

In the last fiscal year, the daycare racked up over $1.5 million in expenses, according to Reitman. As a result, it ran a deficit of over $200,000, barely keeping its doors open.

"This demonstrates what we all know," he said. "We were in a sticky wicket."

Patricia Davison, the daycare's executive director, said that the daycare's financial reality demonstrates that facilities like Children First need stable funding.

"Early learning and care is not going to survive," she said, "if we don't get support."

Children First opened its building in Inuvik 2013, following years of fundraising by the society. Last year, it served over 80 students through its various programs.

Davison says that funding for childcare programs and societies like Children First is an issue for this year's federal, territorial, and municipal elections. She's recommending that voters take the issue to the polls.