New development to address childcare desert in South Osborne

South Osborne

A flood of emotions come when learning about a new pregnancy. The nine-month count down begins, and the to-do list piles up. For Karlee MacDonald, high on her priority list for her then unborn child was finding affordable childcare.

MacDonald was three months pregnant with her son when she first joined a waiting list for childcare in South Osborne.

Now, her son is 18 months old, and she’s on 14 waiting lists for childcare — four less than the most she was on at once, after being told her infant son would age out of care by the time they would have a spot available.

“It added additional stress during an already stressful time as a new parent,” MacDonald said.

Her experience of picking and choosing between going back to work or staying home with her child drove her to join the South Osborne Childcare Coalition, a volunteer group advocating for affordable childcare in the area.

Over a year in the making is their current advocacy project. The coalition partnered with the South Osborne Commons, a group overseeing and championing the redevelopment of a church entrenched in the community for over 50 years into a 112-space childcare facility.

“We want to maintain the community nature of the building,” said Anne Lindsey, president and chair of the South Osborne Commons committee.

On June 23, SOC and Churchill Park United Church announced a $4.4 million redevelopment project to convert the church into a community hub.

According to Lindsey, 60 per cent of the funding is covered by the province, and the onus is on the group to fund the remaining $1.76 million. Now, both groups are working to reach fundraising goals.

The childcare coalition group meets monthly, and while the focus of the organization is to help solicit donations, MacDonald said it’s a supportive group too.

“It’s nice to know you’re not alone in this situation,” MacDonald said.

While the group provides comfort in numbers, MacDonald is not alone in her situation. A 2024 feasibility study identified South Osborne as a childcare desert.

According to the study, 2016 census data showed the area had 314 licensed childcare spaces — majority of which are for children six to 12 years old — and over 1,000 children in need of childcare.

After being adjusted for 2024 population estimates, “this data demonstrates there is a drastic need for infant childcare spaces in the South Osborne neighborhood with existing spaces only meeting 4.36 per cent of children,” according to the report. Infants are defined as zero to 24 months old.

“This need for childcare reflects a lot of households where both parents work,” Lindsey said.

She first moved into the South Osborne area in 1969 with her family as a kid. After moving around for a few years, she settled back into the area and raised her family there.

“When we moved here (in 1969), not all, but many women stayed home. That’s an interesting demographic change,” Lindsey noted.

“I think over the years there’s been ebbs and flows of how vibrant the community is. It’s in a bit of a boom now,” she said, citing the “great support from the community in terms of fundraising.”

“It matters to me to have healthy, safe communities where people feel safe,” said Lindsey, “it’s an important value in my life.”

Lindsey estimates the Churchill Park United Church had been struggling to maintain the large building on their own for some years now. She said two winters ago they hosted a community consultation to give nearby residents a say about what happens to the building. After throwing around ideas for affordable housing, Lindsey said there was an overwhelming need for childcare first and foremost.

The current plan for the building is to develop the main floor into the childcare facility and turn the upstairs into a community space available for event rentals and maintain a safe space for worship.

“I wanted to channel my frustration into action,” said MacDonald.

“It’s stressful, scary, and difficult, and an extra burden,” she explained. “But we’re breathing new life into the space and making a difference in the community.”

MacDonald and her family are already preparing to join more wait lists for their next child. She said that while her almost two-year-old son might not get to use the childcare spaces by the time it’s open, she hopes the centre will help other families in similar situations.

The goal, according to Lindsey, is for construction to start this calendar year and be completed for the centre to open in 2027.

“I just want to see our community thrive,” she said.