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First-time moms are waiting with bated breath for the revised COVID-19 restrictions as their newborn babies may finally be allowed to meet their relatives in-person.
“It takes a village to raise a child,” is how the saying goes and unfortunately those proverbial villages have been empty in recent months. According to Steinbach Family Resource Centre Executive Director Jo-Anne Dalton, the primary struggle for mothers since the pandemic set in has been that lack of personal connection.
“Anybody who was pregnant pre-pandemic has had a baby born in this ten-month period,” she states. “These babies who are six months to a year old right now, a lot of them have never even met their grandparents.”
Childcare waiting lists in Northern BC extended by lack of Early Childhood Educators
SHARE ON: Child Drawing (Photo by Pixabay)
Canadian childcare services continue to battle the short supply of Early Childhood Educators (ECE) in the country, and Northern BC is no exception.
Some parents of young children in Prince George are even facing a two-year waitlist for daycare service.
“It’s really stressful to find enough people to cover the work especially during COVID when somebody is getting tested you can be short-staffed for up to a week,” explained Lynette Mikalishen, Director of Child Care Services at the YMCA of Northern BC.
(Photo: David Foot / Quinte News)
The past year has been a roller coaster ride for everyone, but the education sector had to make some very significant and sudden changes.
Hastings Prince Edward District School Board Director of Education Sean Monteith says the pandemic forced them to make changes that would have taken ten years if it weren’t for COVID-19.
“Education is one of those businesses and sectors that is, in some ways, very resistant to change and so often what happens is when change is suggested in education, it becomes a matter of debate, and I’m not sure sometimes why there is even a debate, it should just be done. Especially when you know certain things are good for kids and the pandemic took the opportunity to debate a lot of things out and said you’ve got to get it done.”
Ingrid grew up in the Pineview/Blackburn community. She was a loyal supporter of her community and could be found planning and encouraging all to participate in events such as the annual Pineview Snow Frolics. She sang in and directed community choirs, drove for Operation Red Nose and volunteered with friends at St. Vincent De Paul. Ingrid’s second home was the iconic Alternate Pub. When she wasn’t there either working or socializing, she would could be found moonlighting in a local band playing her saxophone, often offering a birthday tune or tribute. Prince George residents will remember Ingrid for her storytelling skills. She was the children’s programmer at the Prince George Library for many years and had a big fan following. She would dress up, sing and involve the crowd in her stories, which were for the young and old.