HAPPY PLACE TO PLAY
Early childhood educator Sam Caldwell works with kids during the opening of the new YWCA Regina Centre for Play and Development on Wednesday. There are now two childcare operations at the facility on 2nd Avenue North.
When Deanna Elias-henry retired after nearly two decades as the executive director of the Regina YWCA, she gave incoming CEO Melissa Coomber-bendtsen the task of finding a new childcare space.
“When Deanna retired, she said to me, ‘I need you to make sure that that childcare has a better space. That needs to be one of your first tasks,’” said Coomber-bendtsen.
“I think (it’s) very fitting that, while it’s taken four years, we’ve done that and now it can be named after her.”
On Wednesday morning, the YWCA of Regina announced the opening of its Centre for Play and Development at a new facility on 2nd Avenue North, which now houses two childcare centres for children from six weeks to six years old. Replacing the existing 90 childcare spaces at the YWCA’S Century Crescent Childcare Centre is a new 90-space centre, which has been named Deanna’s Den in honour of Elias-henry.
A second 51-space centre has also been created, named Sally’s Place in honour of Dr. Sally Mahood and Sally Elliott. Mahood practised family medicine in Regina for 40 years and is a longtime advocate for women’s health and early childhood education. Elliott is a registered nurse and has been delivering perinatal programs through the Regina YMCA since 1991.
“Naming a childcare centre after them, for us, was an opportunity to make sure that their legacy and their work is recognized,” said Coomber-bendtsen on picking the name Sally’s Place.
Coomber-bendtsen said the Regina YWCA purchased the new building in February 2018, drawn to its many windows, large outdoor space and easy access for child pick up and drop off.
Kathe Scrobe’s two boys, ages two and four, attend the centre. She is thrilled to see the new building up and running.
“This place is just beautiful. The other place was OK, but this is so bright and so clean and so fresh and it’s giant. And the play yard, like if you see out there, it’s giant,” she said.
In 2015, when she was initially looking for a daycare, Scrobe said it was difficult to find any available spots, so she is pleased the YWCA will now be able to take an additional 51 children with Sally’s Place.
Coomber-bendtsen said Deanna’s Den is full, but there are still a few remaining childcare spots for Sally’s Place.
The building has about 5,000 square feet of unfinished space, and Coomber-bendtsen said the YWCA is looking into what else that space could be used for, with ideas ranging from affordable housing to temporary family reunification care programs to office space for other community organizations.