Heather Wright/The Independent

There will soon be more child-care spaces in Watford, thanks to another partnership between a United Church and Brigden businessmen Mark Steadman and Ross George.

Steadman and Ross unveiled plans to convert a large amount of the space in the Watford United Church into a child-care centre with 40 new spaces.

Steadman says they have been working with the Watford United Church, Lambton County and North Lambton Childcare on the plan to turn the church’s education wing and parlor into a new facility for the community.

“There will be two child-care rooms, one accommodating 16 children and the other one accommodating 24 between the two rooms … so 40 children every day will be supported through this facility – quite likely more than 40 families, because not everybody sends their children every day to day care,” said Steadman as he presented the plan to Warwick Council Monday. “The spin offs and the support that this center is going to bring to the community is going to be huge.”

The 40-space day care will one of North Lambton’s largest operations.

The centre will be licenced by the Ministry of Education and Lambton County has been working with them to ensure the child care spots fit in with the federal government’s child care program. Kim Godin, manager of Childrens Services with Lambton County, says parents using the new Watford centre will be part of the low-cost program administered through the county.

Families in need of child care aren’t the only people benefiting. The United Church has been home to Watford’s only food bank for some time and wanted to continue that work.
Steadman says their plan will provide a new space for the food bank.

“We’ve developed a plan to relocate them to the basement of the church, in a new space that will be designed and constructed for the food bank specifically,” Steadman says. 

“The layout of the refrigeration and freezers, countertops, shelving – we’re working with the food bank folks to make sure that the new space is going to be more functional than what they have, and it’s going to continue to support that organization into the future.”

And, there will still be space left for the United Church to meet.

“By no means is the church closing. They’re just pivoting a little bit and seizing an opportunity to offer the building back to their community to serve more families,” said Steadman.

Mayor Todd Case is excited about the new centre since the community needs more child-care spaces.

“We got some good news not that long ago about 18 new spots, (at the former EarlyON centre at East Lambton School) which got eaten up really quickly. You’re projecting 40 new spots in the future, so this is really, really good news.”

Case noted the businessmen have been making similar investments across Lambton. So far, Steadman and George have partnered with United Churchs in Corunna, Courtright and Wyoming and a former Masonic Temple in Brigden to bring more child care to rural Lambton.

“We’re very grateful to you for investing in our community,” said Case. “You have a proven plan of success and you’re making these announcements in neighboring communities such as Plympton-Wyoming as well. So we thank you for investing in our community, investing into our future and our youth.”

Case calls it a win-win-win situation.

“The church wins. The food bank wins, and the young people and the families in our community win.”