It took nearly 15 years of fundraising and planning before Children First Society (CFS) could open its doors.
Patricia Davison, executive director of CFS – Inuvik's childcare centre – said before CFS opened in 2013, childcare in Inuvik was somewhat precarious.
Several childcare centres were moved from building to building, year after year. There was no permanent childcare centre until CFS was built.
In 2014, just a year-and-a-half after CFS opened its doors, Davison said CFS had a major building issue. Part of the ceiling caved in, and half of the building flooded.
CFS programs had to be moved all around town, and food had to be prepared in Aurora College's residence kitchen and trucked around to all of the different temporary program locations.
Davison said the flood highlighted how much the community had come to rely on CFS for childcare.
Luckily, the building was back up and running shortly. Its presence was missed, and surely appreciated just a little bit more following its temporary closure.
Today, as CFS celebrates its five-year anniversary, Davison says operations are moving along smoothly, and the organization is looking to expand its programs this fall.
CFS is, without a doubt, an integral part of the Inuvik community, and the community should continue to support the centre.
Not only does quality childcare support healthy intellectual, social and emotional development in children, the fact that parents have a safe, reliable place to leave their kids while they go to work is invaluable.
Having access to reliable childcare means that parents can go to work and support their families. It means that young parents will have time to go to school. It means parents will have the opportunity to fulfill other responsibilities, like taking care of sick family members.
Davison told me that funding and building CFS was truly a grassroots effort that would not have been possible without the community's support.
Community members who can, should continue to support the essential work that CFS does to support Inuvik.