UPDATED CLOSURE DATE: November 2018

On July 27th, 2018 the Phil Bouvier Family Childcare Centre will be closing its doors and leaving 49 children without care. Phil Bouvier Daycare has been an amazing centre of social inclusion that has brought together children of all cultural, economic and family backgrounds with over 50% of the children being indigenous. It is this model of social inclusion with an Aboriginal focus on early childhood education that makes this centre so special. This daycare centre is an essential service supporting families in the downtown eastside. These spaces are vital and provide our sweet innocent judgment free children an opportunity to learn together and share their diverse backgrounds. In addition to being a model of social inclusion this daycare is a safe haven for the day for many children who come from disadvantage homes, where they are provided with love, nutritional food and a better chance for success in school later on.

Research demonstrates that children who attend better quality child care during the preschool years demonstrate better cognitive and social skills; the positive impact is especially pronounced for children from dis-advantaged homes. These impacts carry forward from pre-school into the elementary school years.

• A good quality preschool education is critical for children already at greater risk for school failure.
• Preschool studies have found lower rates of behaviour problems, conduct disorder, delinquency, and crime into adulthood among children who attended daycare programs.
• Preschoolers from low-income families who attend center-based child-care programs have stronger school-readiness skills than those cared for in home-based settings.
• Stimulation in early childhood can alleviate adverse effects of poverty.
• Most early childhood interventions have had positive impacts on children’s emotional and behavioral outcomes, including long-term reductions in criminal behavior. There also is some evidence of improvements in children’s health and safety, and some programs have had positive effects on the children’s parents.

Occasional drop in / child care centres do not achieve the same educational and development impact as regular stable full time childcare. In addition regular childcare allows for children to receive other supports they may need. 

Without full-time childcare parents and guardians cannot work, go to school, or take care of their well being. 

This type of childcare centre is the way of the future and how we can raise socially conscious and compassionate individuals who will one day be our leaders.

How can we save the centre? The City of Vancouver and Central City Foundation need ensure that the Phil Bouvier Family Centre continues to house the daycare it was designed for with a new provider operating the daycare that will provide inclusive, culturally appropriate, community based licensed childcare.  We need an URGENT and transparent transition plan that includes the families and community that the daycare supports.