Wellington County held a ground breaking ceremony on July 4 to celebrate construction on the new Mount Forest Child and Family Service Hub.
The facility will be located at 355 Durham Street West, and will replace the former Mount Forest Child Care and Learning Centre.
It will house the Mount Forest Child Care and Learning Centre, the North Wellington Ontario Early Years Centre, and the North Wellington office of Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health.
The unique 10,450 square foot centre will be adjacent to Victoria Cross Public School and will be constructed under the Green Legacy Building Standards, meeting the Emerald level of certification.
“The County of Wellington looks forward to working collaboratively with Ontario Early Years and Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health to develop innovative approaches which will engage and support parents and families in this community,” said County Warden John Green.
Social services committee chairman Gord Tosh said, “Building the hub near a school has a number of benefits for families and children. It encourages relationships between Early Childhood Educators and Kindergarten teachers. It also promotes referrals for family supports and it eases the transition into school.”
Wellington North Mayor Mike Broomhead said “The county is proud to be helping families in this area receive quality child care. By forming strong partnerships we strengthen our community and invest in the future of our children. Our community is very excited about this project.”
Teresa McKeeman, Manager of child care services for Wellington, said, “This new hub going to be a terrific resource in this area. Staff are looking forward to working in this modern facility.”
The capital costs for the project are being jointly funded by the county and the province as part of the Best Start Initiative.
The substantial completion date for the service hub is March.
