A daycare run by a local non-profit is shutting down for cost reasons, leaving some Port Coquitlam parents scrambling for alternatives.
According to a letter to parents, Step by Step Child Development Society will be shutting down the daycare and before- and after-school programs at James Park elementary school, effective June 29.
"Its a great daycare and really sad to hear that," said Shermin Shamji, who said her five-year-old had been at the daycare for two years.
Shermin said the parents of children attending the daycare are banding together to raise awareness because the facility has been a caring place and central to the community.
But the Step by Step board of directors said the cost of running the daycare was challenging.
"It was not an easy decision to make but for the overall financial wellbeing of the agency, we were forced to close James Park. All our other programs will continue to operate as normal," Nicole Isherwood said in an email.
Step by Step offers various programs in the Tri-Cities and has been operating in the Tri-Cities since 1979.
Meanwhile, School District 43, which rents the space to Step by Step but doesn't run daycares, is looking for alternatives.
"The district is presently reviewing the space and stakeholders' needs to determine how best to move forward," SD43 spokesperson Peter Chevrier said.
