Licence to care: P.E.I. daycare finally gets approval it's been fighting for

Josie Sheehan nearly dropped the phone when she heard the decision she'd been waiting months for she is now approved for a license to run a full-day daycare program for all ages at her business Kidz Corner Early Learning Academy in Poole's Corner, P.E.I.

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"I couldn't talk, I was just in tears. " she said.

Sheehan opened in May but was only approved for a half day programfor preschool ageand a full day program for school-aged children, which she runs in the summer.

The province's Child Care Facilities Board stated their wasn't enough need in the community for more spots, but Sheehan said she saw the demand first hand.

49 spots in daycare

At one point Sheehan had over 30 families on a wait-list, so she kept applying to the province month after month.

After another negative decision last month she wrote a letter to the board explaining that the current licence didn't work for families who had multiple children of different ages they would have to come and pick up their younger children after the half day program.

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She's not sure if that was the reason for the change of decision from the board, but to her surprise she isnowlicensed for 49 children of all ages. That's the same number of spots as she had before but she can now offer full day care to children of all ages.

'My phone has been ringing off the hook'

The news has left her very busy.

"My phone has been ringing off the hook and I just had another four people looking for jobs, I've had families that have been waiting that are excited to come." she said.

"I have parents that are coming today to meet with me. I have parents lined up that are wanting to start, all of my parents that are attending now are over the moon," she added.

Infant care to come

Sheehan can start to accept preschoolers for full time now, infant spots will come soon there are some renovations to be done to an extra room for them.

Sheehan says she is pushing to get the work done as soon as possible.

She is also planning on hiring one more person for now, but expects that will go up as her numbers do.

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