Once West Coulee Station Elementary School opens in September 2025, the YMCA will be the operator of the Before and After School Care program.
The program will provide licensed child care to children from Kindergarten to Grade 6. Parents will have the option to register and pay a monthly fee for their children to attend. Care will be provided before school starts and after school ends and on school professional development days and holidays.
The YMCA is the largest provider of not-for-profit child care in Canada. Among the YMCA’s five current licensed child care programs, the YMCA provides licensed childcare to almost 300 children in Lethbridge. Of these 300 children, 100 of them are school-aged children who attend the Before and After School Care program at the Cor Van Raay YMCA, which was established in 2021.
“We believe being the operator of the Before and After School Care program at West Coulee Station Elementary School aligns well with our strategic vision of providing meaningful and quality programs to more people in the community and it builds on current programs we offer that support the goals of the Lethbridge School Division,” says YMCA Marketing Advisor Ashley Campbell.
“We also work with many schools in the region to provide programming for physical education classes and options for youth volunteerism within our programs and facilities,” adds Campbell.
For the Division, the YMCA-West Coulee Station partnership will be beneficial to local families, according to Dean Hawkins, the school’s principal. “Our vision is to foster academic success within a nurturing and respectful learning environment. We’re confident that collaborating with the YMCA for before and after school programs will be advantageous, given their extensive experience and the close proximity of the YMCA to our school. This partnership will provide valuable support to our families.”
