P.E.I. home daycares hope to grow

Home daycares on P.E.I. are hoping to keep hold of their niche market and perhaps even grow when regulatory changes come to larger daycares in the fall.

The province is changing the rules for licensed daycares, and one of the new requirements will be that centres must have a minimum of 40 children to receive provincial funding. The new rules do not directly affect daycares operating out of private homes, but how the overall market might be affected is an open question.

Kate Salamoun is not concerned she will lose any of her customers to the new, government-regulated centres. In fact, she sees potential for growth in the sector.

"Any of the parents that I've talked to, they're not looking forward to the fact their kids are going to have to be in big centres if they want to keep them in public care," she said.

"None of them want their kids to be in the 40 or 50 kid centres. They all want the more personalized care."

Small-scale care most common

Of P.E.I.'s 6,000 preschool children, only about 2,000 are in daycare centres. The rest are looked after by family or in homes.

Salamoun doesn't have any official training, and like most home-based centres hers isn't licensed by the province. There are no health and safety checks, but she believes the home environment is best for children.

"I think I give the kids a lot more personalized care and a better environment to live in," she said.

Parent Lori Ann Hern uses an in-home daycare for her children.

"I find it's more compact," said Hern.

"You just have a few children. They do home things, that if I was at home I would do with my children."

Carolyn Simpson, provincial early childhood development manager, said it's important that parents know what to look for when choosing unregulated daycare for their children.

"Is the home childproofed or safe from that respect, much as we would do in our own home when we have young children, the types of foods that are provided," she said.

Simpson expects regulated rates and the new provincial daycare curriculum will mean more parents will choose regulated care.