EPSB says no to big-box daycares

By Heather McIntyre, Metro EdmontonWhile there are a number of daycare operators who lease surplus space from the Edmonton Public School Board, the largest for-profit child-care company in the country won’t be one of them.At its Tuesday meeting, the board voted against renting space to Edleun, whose headquarters are in Calgary.“We really identified the unacceptability of public-traded daycares receiving access to our schools,” said board chair Dave Colburn.Bill Moore-Kilgannon, of Public Interest Alberta, along with others, spoke out at the meeting.“Considering it’s taxpayer-paid, should we be really having a large child-care company operating out of a public school?” he said.The board is expected to finalize the decision later this month.“(We decided) that the big-box approach to daycare is not the approach that best supports our community,” said Colburn. “There are a number of daycare facilities in Edmonton public schools. I think it’s fair to say we continue to seek daycares … to provide additional daycare services to our parent community.”By Heather McIntyre, Metro Edmonton