New and improved.
The OSNS Child and Youth Development Centre is hosting an open house to show off its expansion work and give people a behind-the-scenes look at the services it provides.
The centre will be holding its annual general meeting from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Thursday followed by the hour-long facility viewing.
Renovations during the past year include the new KinderBear Developmental Daycare made possible through the provincial government’s capital funding program, BC Early Years Strategy.
The new facility constructed in the lower level of the existing centre provides eight spaces for infants and toddlers and 16 more for pre-school-aged children.
The daycare basically mirrors the development support offered in the centre’s other programs.
“The addition of KinderBear Developmental Daycare allows OSNS to complement the work of community partners and existing childcare facilities with a focus on supporting children facing developmental challenges,” said Manisha Willms, executive director of OSNS. “Our clinical and early childhood teams are very excited to be part of adding much needed spaces for the children and families.”
The OSNS serves children and families with a variety of therapy services and last year saw over 1,000 children either at the centre or through the mobile outreach program from Summerland to Princeton.
“We are thrilled to have our expanded space to accommodate the need. The expansion has been designed from scratch and every inch will be used as a place of play learning from our new special child-size door to training bathrooms, sensory areas to creative and dramatic play centres and reading in our book nook,” said media officer Marianne McGoran.
Those attending the annual general meeting will have an opportunity to sit in on the review of the past year and the look ahead to the future with the election of the board of directors. There will also be a celebration of long-time employee Carol Louis who is retiring after 22 years. The centre is located at #103 - 550 Carmi Avenue. AGM registration begins at 4:30 p.m.