A "critical" preschool program catering to children with disabilities and special needs is shutting down, forcing parents to find other options.
The Ministry of Education has cut the preschool program's $360,000 in funding, giving the John McGivney Children's Centre no other choice but to close its special needs program after 37 years.
CEO Elaine Whitmore says parents are scrambling as the program is unique to Windsor. "The families are telling us that there are no other options that they feel comfortable with at this point in time," says Whitmore. "It no way speaks poorly of our child care operators who are partners out in the community. It's just looking at children who may have very complex needs and the type of support that's necessary in a classroom for that."
Whitmore says 80% of all children at the John McGivney Centre have special needs, which is "very high" compared to other communities. "To pull out a piece that's been here for over 35 years, it's going to leave a gap and that is certainly our fear that we will have families who don't have any other options."
"One of the parents may have to stop work so that they can be at home with their child," she says.
The last day of the special needs preschool program is August 31. Whitmore says this is a "firm" decision, but given the media attention surrounding the closure she's "cautiously optimistic" the government will step in and save the program.
