MOTHER'S DAY SPA GIFT BAG DRAW

Our last spa bag is being drawn on May 8^th just in time for Mother’s Day. Tickets are only $2 and this prize package includes spa products and a spa day at Oak Island Resort!! We’ll be sending tickets home for you to sell or you can buy them by calling 275-4347.

SUMMER DAY CAMPS

Look for our summer day camp information and sign-up forms coming soon. We offer full-day camps for children aged 5-12 years. Hours of operation are 6:30AM-6:00PM Monday through Friday.

BABY TALK!

Please contact Public Health nurse Carolyn Power for the location and dates for Baby Talk!

Her contact number is 275-3581.

PROMPT PAYMENT ON ACCOUNTS

It is very important that the Family Centre receives your prompt payment for child care services. As a registered charity, we are not in the position at anytime, to carry accounts that are past due. Billing for childcare happens bi-weekly and payment is due upon receipt of invoice. Times are tough! You can discuss payment options with us by calling 275-4347 and speak to Heather. Thank you for your cooperation!

PROGRAM WAITING LISTS & PRE-REGISTRATION & CREDIT DAYS

Every day our programs are filling up fast! Due to provincial licensing requirements, participants must be pre-registered before their space is guaranteed in any program. All registration forms must be completed in full, including immunizations records. The Family Centre staff must have the child’s name on the attendance list for each day they attend. Participants receive 2 credit days per month and must cancel with staff before 12 noon . Please refer to your Parent Manual for further details. Please call the Family Centre at 275-4347 and leave a message if calling after hours.

KIDZ TIME PRE-SCHOOL PROGRAM

Our pre-school program is designed for pre-schoolers aged 3-5 years. It is a part-day program designed for socialization and school readiness. The hours of operation are Monday-Friday 9:30-Noon. Children can attend 3 or 5 days depending on their interest levels. Kidz Time Pre-School is offered at the Chester location only. Program fees are $125/month for 5 days/week or $75/month for 3 days/week. Please call Nicole to register 275-4347.

BEFORE & AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAMS

The After-school Program hours of operation are school closure until 6PM. Programs are designed for children 5-12 years. Program fees are $12/day for part-day and $20/day for full-day. We offer After-School Programs at the following locations: 

Kidz Zone Gold River Elementary School (Brenda Barkhouse Coordinator)

Kidz Zone Bayview Community School (Nicole Hebb Coordinator)

Kidz Zone Chester (Nicole Stevens Coordinator)

X-treme Program (Jen Barkhouse Coordinator)

The Before-School Program is offered at the Chester location only. The hours of operation are 6:30AM-9AM . The program is designed for children 5-12 years. Program fee is $6.50/day.

News From The Executive Director

We are getting excited about our new facility and our tentative Grand Opening date of November 2, 2009. We have been working non-stop on this project and seeing the drawings make it all very real! Later this month, you will be able to register your children on-line for the infant, toddler and pre-school rooms. We will have full-time and part-time spaces available, although priority will be given to parents needing full-time. Our Before & After-school Programs will stay the same as well as, our off-site school based programs.

Please stop by the Curling Club and have a look at our detailed floor plans or take a look at the picture on this site. Our architect and Project Manager is Syd Dumeresq. Syd and his wife Sandy live in Chester. Syd has successfully designed 10 other daycare facilities in Nova Scotia and we are fortunate to have access to his skills and experience. You should soon see some action here at CMP, as we hope to break ground by May 15th. Our new building will be located next to the Chester Brass Band building here beside the rink.

Many thanks to our dedicated Board of Directors who worked through several options for our new facility and arrived at the best plan for this community and it's families. Also, thank you to the Building Committee Members who continue with the work at hand in getting the building up and open for business. Lastly, thank you to all the staff, families and volunteers who make our organization thrive!

Sincerely,

Becky Scott
Executive Director
Chester Family Resource Centre

Look for our summer day camp information and sign-up forms June 8th. We offer full-day camps for children aged 5-12 years. Hours of operation are 6:30AM-6:00PM Monday through Friday. Xtreme and Kidz Zone both operate full-days starting June 24th and space is limitied so sign up early to avoid disappointment.

ACCOUNT PAYMENT REQUIREMENTS

All accounts must be paid in full prior to enrollment in our full-day summer camps. Please see Heather to make arrangements if you are unable to comply with this requirement or call her at 275-4347.

BABY TALK!

Please contact Public Health nurse Carolyn Power at 275-3581 for the location and dates for Baby Talk!

KIDZ TIME PRE-SCHOOL PROGRAM

Our pre-school program is designed for pre-schoolers aged 3-5 years. It is a part-day program designed for socialization and school readiness. The hours of operation are Monday-Friday 9:30-Noon. Children can attend 3 or 5 days depending on their interest levels. Kidz Time Pre-School is offered at the Chester location only. Program fees are $125/month for 5 days/week or $75/month for 3 days/week. Please call Nicole to register 275-4347.

BEFORE & AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAMS

The After-school Program hours of operation are school closure until 6PM. Programs are designed for children 5-12 years. Program fees are $12/day for part-day and $20/day for full-day. We offer After-School Programs at the following locations:

Kidz Zone Gold River Elementary School (Brenda Barkhouse Coordinator)
Kidz Zone Bayview Community School (Nicole Hebb Coordinator)
Kidz Zone Chester (Nicole Stevens Coordinator)
X-treme Program (Jen Barkhouse Coordinator)

The Before-School Program is offered at the Chester location only. The hours of operation are 6:30AM-9AM . The program is designed for children 5-12 years. Program fee is $6.50/day.

News From The Family Centre

Demolition has started on the site of our new facility. The new well and foundation should be in by the end of this month. Both Boards from Church Memorial Park and the Family Resource Centre are very excited about the new building and additional programs for families. The Family Centre Expansion is a very good thing for Chester. It's even better that the facility will add to the resources available here at Church Memorial Park.

Many thanks to both Board of Directors who have worked together tirelessly to see this project through.

Chester Family Resource Centre

ACCOUNT PAYMENT REMINDERS

All accounts must be paid in full prior to enrollment in our full-day summer camps or our fall after school programs. Please see Heather to make arrangements if you are unable to comply with this requirement or call her at 275-4347.

ANNUAL SUMMER DONATION CAMPAIGN

The Chester & Area Family Resource Centre is a charitable not-for-profit organization that relies on community and corporate assistance to run our many programs and services. Every summer we send out donation requests to help off-set our very tight budget. The money we receive, pays for operating expenses such as our rent, summer staff, equipment and supplies, etc. Without community support, we would not be able to offer affordable and flexible programs for our children. And remember.... you donation is tax deductible and directly supports the children in this community.

EDUCATION & TRAINING OPPORTUNITY

We are hosting an information night for women interested in education and training opportunities on Monday July 20th from 7-9PM here at the Chester Curling Club. The Chester session is being facilitated by Wendy Annand and sponsored by FemJEPP and Community Services. This workshop will be of interest to anyone looking at changing careers or programs for women on Income Assistance or women who have been out of the workforce for a while. Please register by calling 275-4347.

BABY TALK!

Please contact Public Health nurse Carolyn Power at 275-3581 for the location and dates for Baby Talk!
CHESTER’S 250TH ANNIVERSAY PARADE
This year’s parade is being organized by the Chester Legion. Participation is free and you can pick-up registration forms at the Legion or call Sylvia Swinimer at 275-3991.

KIDZ TIME PRE-SCHOOL PROGRAM

Our pre-school program is designed for pre-schoolers aged 3-5 years and runs September  through to June. It is a part-day program designed for socialization and school readiness. The hours of operation are Monday, Wednesday and Friday 9:30-Noon. Kidz Time Pre-School is offered at the Chester location only. Program fees are $75/month. Please call the Chester Family Centre to register 275-4347.

BEFORE & AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAMS

The After-school Program hours of operation are school closure until 6PM. We offer after-school programs at 3 sites from September through June. Programs are designed for children 5-12 years. Program fees are $12/day for part-day and $20/day for full-day with a 20% discount for children from the same family.
We offer After-School Programs at the following locations:
Kidz Zone Gold River Elementary School
Kidz Zone Bayview Community School
Kidz Zone Chester
X-treme Program Chester (9-12 years)

The Before-School Program is offered at the Chester location only. The hours of operation are 6:30AM-9AM September through June . The program is designed for children 5-12 years. Program fee is $6.50/day.

ACCOUNT PAYMENT REMINDERS

All accounts must be paid in full prior to enrollment in our full-day summer camps or our fall programs. Please see Heather to make arrangements if you are unable to comply with this requirement or call her at 275-4347.

(NEW!!) KIDZ TIME PRE-SCHOOL PROGRAM FULL DAYS

Starting Tuesday September 8th, 2009, we will be offering full-day pre-school childcare for children aged 24 months to 5 years here at our temporary location at the Chester Curling Club. We are starting with 18 spaces until our new facility is open. Family Centre staff and full-time childcare will have priority access and then sign up will be on a first come first serve basis. Sign up will take place Friday August 21st at 6PM here at the Chester Curling Club upstairs.
Kidz Time Pre-school Program hours of operation will be Monday – Friday 7AM to 6PM. Program fees are set at $22/day for full-time and $25/day for permanent part-time. Please call the Family Centre at 275-4347 for more information. Cost will be $22/day full-time and $25/day part-time.

KIDZ ZONE BEFORE & AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAMS

The Kidz Zone & Xtreme Before-School Program will be offered at the Chester Brass Band Building location only. The hours of operation are 6:30AM-9AM starting September 3rd, 2009 through to the end of June 2010 . The program is designed for children 5-12 years and includes breakfast and school drop-off. Program fees are $7.50/day.

The Kidz Zone After-school Program will be offered at 3 locations in September. The hours of operation are school closure until 6PM starting September 3rd, 2009 through to the end of June 2010. Programs are designed for children 5-12 years. Program fees are $12/day for full-time part-day and $13/day part-time part-day. $20/day for full-time full-day and $22/day for part-time full day, with a 20% discount for children from the same family.

We offer After-School Programs at the following locations:

• Kidz Zone Chester (Chester Brass Band Building)
• Xtreme Program (Chester Curling Club for kids 9-12 years)
• Kidz Zone Gold River (Gold River Elementary School)
• Kidz Zone Bayview (Bayview Community School)
  

PLAY GROUP

Starting Tuesday September 8th, 2009, Playgroup will be offered Tuesdays & Thursdays from 9:30-11:30 AM in the Xtreme room at the Chester Curling Club. Playgroup is designed as a parent and child interactive time. The program will be of interest to parents with children aged 9 months to 4 years. We plan a craft, snack and sing-a-long with plenty of time for free play and socialization. Cost is only $1 and drop-in when you can.

BABY TALK!

Please contact Public Health nurse Carolyn Power at 275-3581 for the location and dates for Baby Talk!

NEW FACILITY UPDATE

Our initial Expansion Application sent to Community Services in June 2008, was based on buying land on North Street where we were planning to build our new full-day daycare. In September 2008, Church Memorial Park (CMP), offered the Chester & Area Family Resource Centre (CAFRC), free land if we wanted to build on the Rink Complex. Both Boards from CMP & CAFRC have worked very hard to put in place a 20 year lease where we can mutually achieve our shared mission to promote year round programs and services to Chester and surrounding communities.

In February 2009, the South Shore Regional School Board (SSRSB) approached CAFRC to see if our daycare could work within their programming at Chester District School. Both the CAFRC Board and the SSRSB had previously investigated the newly emerging national trend of locating Early Learning Centres in elementary schools but felt time-lines and urgent demand for childcare in this community made the final decision to locate the new building at CMP a necessity at this time.

With that decision behind us, CAFRC then re-submitted our Expansion application with the change of location and new architectural drawings. We are waiting for the Department of Community Services to review the new drawings and approve the CMP location for the new building. Construction is set to begin as soon as approval is received which should be any day now!!

If you have any questions regarding our Expansion Project, please call the Family Centre and speak to Becky Scott, Executive Director at 275-4347.

ACCOUNT PAYMENT REMINDERS

All accounts must be paid in full prior to enrollment in our fall programs. Please see Heather to make arrangements if you are unable to comply with this requirement or call her at 275-4347.

KIDZ TIME PRE-SCHOOL PROGRAM FULL DAYS

We will be offering full-day pre-school childcare for children aged 24 months to 5 years here at our temporary location at the Chester Curling Club. We are waiting for the Department of Community Services to license our program. We are starting with 18 spaces until our new facility is open next year. Family Centre staff and full-time childcare needs will have priority access, and then sign up will be on a first come first serve basis. 
Kidz Time Pre-school Program hours of operation will be Monday – Friday 7AM to 6PM. Program fees are set at $22/day for full-time and $25/day for permanent part-time. Please call the Family Centre at 275-4347 for more information. Cost will be $22/day full-time and $25/day part-time.
Please call Teena Bond our Kidz Time Pre-School Coordinator at 275-4347 for more information.

KIDZ ZONE BEFORE & AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAMS

The Kidz Zone & Xtreme Before-School Program will be offered at the Chester Brass Band Building location only. The hours of operation are 6:30AM-9AM starting September through to the end of June 2010. The program is designed for children 5-12 years and includes breakfast and school drop-off for both CDS and CAMS. Program fees are $7.50/day.
KIDZ ZONE AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAMS
Kidz Zone After-school Programs will be offered at 3 locations in September. The hours of operation are school closure until 6PM starting September 3rd, 2009 through to the end of June 2010. Programs are designed for children 5-12 years. Program fees are $12/day for full-time part-day and $13/day part-time part-day. $20/day for full-time full-day and $22/day for part-time full day, with a 20% discount for children from the same family. Space is limited in all 3 locations so priority booking will go to CAFRC employees and then full-time childcare needs. Part-time care will then be on a first come, first served basis.
We offer After-School Programs at the following locations:

ACCOUNT PAYMENT REMINDERS

All accounts are debited on the 1st and 15th of each month. Your invoice will be sent in an email the day before your account is debited. Please contact Heather our Centre Coordinator if you do not receive your invoice or will anticipate a problem with your account at 275-4347.

KIDZ TIME PRE-SCHOOL PROGRAM FULL DAYS

We now offer full-day pre-school childcare for children aged 24 months to 5 years here at our temporary location at the Chester Curling Club. This is a fully licensed early learning program through the Department of Community Services. We have 18 full-day licensed spaces until our new facility is open next year. Family Centre staff and full-time childcare needs will have priority access, and then sign up will be on a first come first serve basis. 

Kidz Time Pre-school Program hours of operation are Monday – Friday 7AM to 6PM.

Program fees are set at $22/day for full-time and $25/day for permanent part-time. This full-day program qualifies for the subsidized portable spaces available through the Department of Community Services. Information regarding subsidy can be obtained by calling the Bridgewater office at 543-5527.
Please call Teena Bond our Kidz Time Pre-School Coordinator at 275-4347 for more information.

KIDZ ZONE BEFORE SCHOOL PROGRAM

The Kidz Zone Before-School Program will be offered at the Chester Brass Band Building location only. The hours of operation are 6:30AM-9AM. The program is designed for children 5-12 years and includes breakfast and school drop-off for both CDS and CAMS. Program fees are $7.50/day.

KIDZ ZONE AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAMS

We currently offer the Kidz Zone After-school Program at 3 locations. Chester Brass Band Building, Gold River Elementary School and Bayview Community School in Mahone Bay.

The hours of operation are school closure until 6PM Monday through Friday. The Kidz Zone After-School Programs are licensed through Department of Community Services  and are designed for children ages 5-12 years. Each program has a daily schedule which includes physical activity, nutritious snacks, crafts, dramatic play, science centres, homework study and much more. All programs are coordinated by experienced ECE staff who are licensed by the Province of NS.

Program fees are as follows:

$12/day for full-time part-day
$13/day part-time part-day
$20/day for full-time full-day
$22/day for part-time full day

20% discount for children from the same family.
Space is limited in all 3 locations so priority booking will go to CAFRC employees and then full-time childcare needs. Part-time care will only be offered when program enrolment allows. Please contact the Chester Family Centre for booking at 275-4347.

PLAY GROUP

Playgroup will be offered Tuesdays & Thursdays from 9:30-11:30 AM at the Chester Brass Band Building. Playgroup is designed as a parent and child interactive time. The program will be of interest to parents with children aged 9 months to 4 years. Playgroup involves craft time, snack and sing-a-long with plenty of time for free play and socialization. Cost is only $1 and drop-in when you can.

BABY TALK!

Please contact Public Health nurse Carolyn Power at 275-3581 for the location and dates for Baby Talk!

NEW FACILITY UPDATE

The digging has begun! Construction has started and the plan is to be in our new building by April 2010. Thanks to the assistance of Brad Armstrong, we were able to save the best trees along the front and side of the proposed structure. Our architect Syd Dumaresq, and Project Manager, Rich Knowles are working very hard to make the building as “Chester friendly” as possible. The architectural design is well suited to the site surroundings and very pleasing to the eye.

All CAFRC childcare programs are licensed by the Department of Community Services and must adhere to the requirements set out by the Province of Nova Scotia. All our new childcare programs located in our new facility will be eligible for the portable subsidy programs available through DCS, including the part-day after-school spaces. This is welcomed news for many of our families!

The new facility will have the following childcare capacity;
8 infants spaces serving children aged 0-17 months
12 toddlers spaces for children 18-35 months
16 pre-school spaces for children aged 36 months to five years

15 Before-School spaces for children 5-12 years
30 After-School spaces for children 5-8 years
15 After-School spaces for children 9-12 years

30 Summer Camp spaces for children 5-8 years
15 Summer Camp Spaces for children 9-12 years

The Chester and Area Family Resource Centre is also a Family Resource Centre which means that we have other purposes besides offering licensed childcare programs. We also provide community resources such as parenting information, breast feeding support, workplace training and experiences, health related seminars, youth activities, community events, volunteer opportunities and much more.

It is CAFRC’s intention to re-establish those valuable resources once we have our new facility open and ready for community use. The Xtreme After-School room will be used 3 nights a week for youth programming and pre-teen activities that we once offered at the Wherehouse Youth Centre. We also plan to offer professional services for special needs and health related issues that usually require travel outside the community. We also look forward to making our space available for parties and other community groups to use. The list is endless……

The future looks just a little bit brighter for the families in Chester!!

If you have any suggestions or questions regarding our Expansion Project, please call the Executive Director, Becky Scott at 275-4347.

KIDZ ZONE AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAMS

We currently offer the Kidz Zone After-school Program at 3 locations. Chester Brass Band Building, Gold River Elementary School and Bayview Community School in Mahone Bay.
The hours of operation are school closure until 6PM Monday through Friday. The Kidz Zone After-School Programs are licensed through Department of Community Services  and are designed for children ages 5-12 years. Each program has a daily schedule which includes physical activity, nutritious snacks, crafts, dramatic play, science centres, homework study and much more. All programs are coordinated by experienced ECE staff who are licensed by the Province of NS.

Program fees are as follows:

$12/day for full-time part-day
$13/day part-time part-day
$20/day for full-time full-day
$22/day for part-time full day

20% discount for children from the same family.
Space is limited in all 3 locations so priority booking will go to CAFRC employees and then full-time childcare needs. Part-time care will only be offered when program enrolment allows. Please contact the Chester Family Centre for booking at 275-4347.

PLAY GROUP

Playgroup will be offered Tuesdays & Thursdays from 9:30-11:30 AM at the Chester Brass Band Building. Playgroup is designed as a parent and child interactive time. The program will be of interest to parents with children aged 9 months to 4 years. Playgroup involves craft time, snack and sing-a-long with plenty of time for free play and socialization. Cost is only $1 and drop-in when you can.

BABY TALK!

Please contact Public Health nurse Carolyn Power at 275-3581 for the location and dates for Baby Talk!

NEW FACILITY UPDATE

The footings are in and the foundation will be set very soon. We have drilled our well and hit lots of good water at 200 feet! Thanks to CMP and our Pig Loop Road neighbours, power will be connected for the work crew trailer and the construction site. This month we should see the framing go up and that will really help us visualize the new facility.

As we have stated before, all CAFRC childcare programs are licensed by the Department of Community Services and must adhere to the requirements set out by the Province of Nova Scotia. The programs located in our new facility will be eligible for the portable subsidy programs available through DCS, including the part-day after-school spaces. This is welcomed news for many of our families! Please see Heather for application information or check out the website at Community Services or call 543-5527.

The new facility will have the following childcare capacity;
8 infants spaces serving children aged 0-17 months
12 toddlers spaces for children 18-35 months
16 pre-school spaces for children aged 36 months to five years

15 Before-School spaces for children 5-12 years
30 After-School spaces for children 5-8 years
15 After-School spaces for children 9-12 years

30 Summer Camp spaces for children 5-8 years
15 Summer Camp Spaces for children 9-12 years

Gym night is running at Chester District School every Wednesday night from 6:30-8PM at a cost of $2/family. Everyone is welcome!

Our Annual Christmas fundraising Dinner, Mingle and Jingle, is scheduled for Friday December 4th at Nicki’s Inn. Tickets are $150/person. Please call CAFRC at 275-4347 for reservations.

Christmas wreaths can be ordered later this month. Please check our website for more information.

If you have any questions regarding CAFRC programs or services, please call the Executive Director, Becky Scott at 275-4347.

Jingle Bells and Christmas lights are starting to appear. The children are practicing songs for concerts and busy writing letters to Santa. All of our programs will close on Friday December 18th, re-opening Monday January 4th. Our staff will spend quality time with their families and take a well deserved break. It’s the only time of the year that we close.
Happy Holidays from CAFRC!!

Amanda Paterson joins us from Toronto and will be working at the Chester site. Amanda has several years experience in the Early Childhood Field and holds an ECE degree and Daycare Management Diploma. Amanda has 2 lovely children who love attending the Family Centre Programs and living in Chester.

Natalie Hudon-Eisnor joins us from Martins River and is our Supported Childcare Coordinator. Natalie will offer individual programs to meet the needs of our children with special needs and interests. Natalie has a BA in Human Studies and has a very diverse background working with all ages of special needs. Natalie has a wonderful 2 year old who loves our new pre-school program.

Charlotte Butler and Angie Gaudet join us as Labour Market sponsorship candidates. Charlotte is gaining experience and working towards her ECE diploma and works with the Chester programs. Angie is here from Liverpool and is also working towards her ECE diploma and is splitting her training between our Chester and Bayview programs.

Joy Kelland is a native Newfoundlander who has re-located to Chester. Joy spent time working in a daycare in Nfld. and brings her vivacious personality to pre-school and Kidz Zone in Chester.

ACCOUNT PAYMENT REMINDERS
All accounts are debited on the 1st and 15th of each month. Your invoice will be sent in an email the day before your account is debited. Please contact Heather our Centre Coordinator if you do not receive your invoice or will anticipate a problem with your account at 275-4347.

KIDZ TIME PRE-SCHOOL PROGRAM FULL DAYS
Our full-day pre-school childcare for children aged 24 months to 5 years here at the Chester Curling Club is full but we are taking names on the waiting list. This is a fully licensed early learning program through the Department of Community Services. We currently have 18 full-day licensed spaces until our new facility is open next year. Family Centre staff and full-time childcare needs will have priority access, and then sign up will be on a first come first serve basis.

Kidz Time Pre-school Program hours of operation are Monday – Friday 7AM to 6PM.

Program fees are set at $22/day for full-time and $25/day for permanent part-time. This full-day program qualifies for the subsidized portable spaces available through the Department of Community Services. Information regarding subsidy can be obtained by calling the Bridgewater office at 543-5527.

Please call Teena Bond our Kidz Time Pre-School Coordinator at 275-4347 for more information.

KIDZ ZONE BEFORE SCHOOL PROGRAM
The Kidz Zone Before-School Program will be offered at the Chester Brass Band Building location only. The hours of operation are 6:30AM-9AM. The program is designed for children 5-12 years and includes breakfast and school drop-off for both CDS and CAMS. Program fees are $7.50/day.

KIDZ ZONE AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAMS
We currently offer the Kidz Zone After-school Program at 3 locations. Chester Brass Band Building, Gold River Elementary School and Bayview Community School in Mahone Bay.

The hours of operation are school closure until 6PM Monday through Friday. The Kidz Zone After-School Programs are licensed through Department of Community Services  and are designed for children ages 5-12 years. Each program has a daily schedule which includes physical activity, nutritious snacks, crafts, dramatic play, science centres, homework study and much more. All programs are coordinated by experienced ECE staff who are licensed by the Province of NS.

Program fees are as follows:

• $12/day for full-time part-day
• $13/day part-time part-day
• $20/day for full-time full-day
• $22/day for part-time full day