The day-care at Whitehorse’s Teen Parent Centre (TPC) was in jeopardy of closing this year after the society running it fell into trouble, but a new society has formed to keep the day-care running.

The Teen Parent Centre near the F.H. Collins Secondary School campus has offered services to young parents pursuing their education, including a day-care centre, for more than three decades.

But, as the Star reported in November, the society that ran the day-care had fallen out of good standing with the territory’s Societies Act. 

Last September, the Department of Education had warned the Teen Parent Access to Education Society to get its act together, or lose 
its licence.

It was behind on paperwork, had delegated some of the managing operations to a non-society member and needed two board 
positions filled.

The day-care risked closing after the holiday break if nothing changed.

Something has changed though: a new society, the TPC Child Care Society, has stepped up to run the day-care.

“The society is actively working with the Early Learning and Child Care (ELCC) branch of the Department of Education to re-license the Teen Parent Centre Daycare,” said society member Belle MacDonald in an email to the Star last Thursday.

“ELCC has assured the students that during this time of transition in the operating licence service continuity will be provided to the children of the students attending the Teen Parent Centre.”

MacDonald said the society formed to ensure the service would continue uninterrupted.

“A group of Yukoners from various walks of life, including a former Teen Parent Centre student, retired educator, women’s advocate, early learning educators, and former board members all came together to serve as directors of the TPC Child Care Society to ensure that high-quality and accessible early learning and childcare will continue to be provided at the Teen Parent Centre.

“This group agrees that ensuring childcare services are available at the TPC is essential so young parents can continue to have the option of choosing education.”

In December, the Department of Education said in an email that the new society was working to take over the licence before Jan. 31, but the ELCC had reserved spaces at other Whitehorse day-cares in case there were delays.

“The Department of Education continues to support the current society and will support a new society or operator, with the overall goal of supporting high-quality early learning and child care in Yukon.” 

The department had said in November students would have free access to day-care services at other licensed institutions in town.

However, students told the Star in the fall they feared losing the on-campus service would make it more difficult to attend classes.

With a day-care on-site, parents can check in on their children while in school, and don’t have to bus or drive to multiple locations to start and end the day.

Note: This article has been edited to show the Teen Parent Centre is located next to the F.H. Collins campus. The article had previously said the centre was on the campus. It is neither on the campus, nor affiliated with the school.