A new plan to address the major daycare shortage in Vernon, may not be able to proceed after a lack of support from the North Okanagan Regional District. Daycare operator Fiona Forshaw is seeking Agriculture Land Commission approval to open a 106 full-time space facility in two houses at 5960 Old Kamloops Road. She wanted the NORD board to help quicken the process by supporting the proposal, and recommending it be giving priority by the ALC. While there was general support, a majority of NORD directors felt the application didn't warrant special treatment, or be allowed to 'jump the que', ahead of other A-L-R requests.Forshaw says it means their plan to open by this fall, won't be possible, as the normal process can take up to a year. "So that would not get us open by September and that will probably create a lot of problems in Vernon for finding child care." With 400 families on the local waiting list for child care, Forshaw says some directors don't seem to understand the urgency.
She told NORD, two doctors and three nurses are recent examples of people who have had to leave Vernon after not being able to find child care.
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