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School board celebrates taking on the operation of francophone early learning and child care centre

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Author: 
Government of Yukon
Format: 
Article
Publication Date: 
26 Oct 2023
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Excerpts

This is a joint news release between the Government of Yukon and the Commission scolaire francophone du Yukon.

In September 2023, the Commission scolaire francophone du Yukon (CSFY) officially assumed control and management of the Garderie du petit cheval blanc (Garderie) early learning and child care centre.

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This change is the result of collaboration between the Government of Yukon and CSFY to establish a process for CSFY to manage French child care centres in the Yukon.

To support this shift from a society-run initiative to a school board program, the Government of Yukon's Early Learning and Child Care Branch collaborated with CSFY and the Garderie to create a new policy framework and guidelines. 

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Moving forward, the recently developed policy framework paves the way for other Yukon school boards to govern new or existing early learning and child care programs should they choose. This initiative demonstrates another way that the Government of Yukon is collaborating with French language programs.

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The Garderie du petit cheval blanc's transition to the Commission scolaire francophone du Yukon is a major achievement for French language initiatives. Together, we are helping build a sustainable future for early learning and child care. This new direction not only highlights our commitment to French language programs across the Yukon but also sets a precedent for other Yukon school boards.

– Minister responsible for French Language Services Directorate John Streicker

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Quick facts 

  • The Commission scolaire francophone du Yukon (CSFY) began overseeing the Yukon’s only French-first language early learning and child care centre on September 1, 2023.
  • The Garderie was established in 1989 by a not-for-profit society in response to the Francophone community wanting access to French child care.
  • In the more than three decades they have been in operation, they have grown from a program with seven spaces to a program that manages 97 licensed child care spaces, including the before- and after-school programs. 
  • The Garderie’s programs include an after-school program operating at École Émilie-Tremblay during the school year and a summer camp operating out of the Paul-Émile-Mercier Secondary School Community Centre (CSSC Mercier). They also operate an infant-to-preschool program out of a separate building on the same site as École Émilie-Tremblay.