'No accountability': Regina parent faces challenges leading up to daycare closure

The announcement of a sudden closure of a Regina daycare has one family saying there’s no accountability or consideration to parents or their children.

The Saplings Early Learning Child Care Centre is set to close on June 30 following an announcement by Eden Care Communities, the company that owns the centre.

Parents were given just over six weeks to find alternate arrangements.

In response to the situation, a collective of parents of the 51 children at Saplings submitted an open letter to Eden Care Communities, calling for guarantees of service up until June 30 and a re-evaluation of the organization’s vision and mission.

“Nothing was addressed. The response was pretty much the letter that was sent out back in May,” said Anurag Attri, whose child attends the centre.

“No accountability. Nothing.”

Eden Care’s response, authored by the company’s CEO Bill Pratt, outlined that many Saplings staff have planned to stay at the centre till June 29 and defended the organization’s decision for closure.

“We were also mindful that as a charity, it was no longer feasible for us to have a mission that was wide reaching and attempting to be ‘all things to all people,’” the letter read.

“This was not a light decision and many options were assessed before this decision was made.”

For Attri, the response was not enough.

“I think it's frustrating,” he said. “We understand businesses close, we understand things happen. But I think when the letter came in, there was no responsibility whatsoever.”

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Finding alternative care at such short notice has been difficult for Attri and his family.

“I’ve had a few responses from the daycares. But again, it’s like one-two year [waits],” he explained.

“So we’re having a hard time. I'm pretty sure more than 50 per cent are still in the same boat as us. So unsuccessful.”

The situation has gotten to a point where Attri and his partner are considering very expensive options.

“I don't know about other parents, what arrangements they would have but for us, we're pretty much looking at calling my mom and dad from India now, to have our kid looked after,” he said.

“Then that's a sudden expense of like $4,000 or $5,000, which we never anticipated.”

The only positive in the whole ordeal, according to Attri, has been the educators helping families out along the way.

“All the teachers have been really good. Honestly, like all the staff has been good. They're very cooperative and understanding,” he said.

“No doubt, they're doing their best to help us, help every kid until the closure.”

CTV News Regina has reached out to Eden Care Communities for comment on its latest letter to parents and has not received a response.