A long time Liverpool preschool is closing its doors at the end of the year after a drop in enrollment numbers.
Juanita’s Children’s Centre has been in operation for 19 years but Juanita Wolfe has been working with children much longer.
In her 35 years as an early childhood educator, Wolfe helped found the Queens Day Care Association and the Queens Resource Centre.
“I’ve always loved children, I had two passions in my life, art and children,” says Wolfe.
Wolfe recently made the difficult decision to not renew her licence and close her preschool.
She says the province’s new pre-primary program was the main factor in that decision.
Wolfe has also put her house up for sale, which is too large for her and her husband without operating the preschool.
However, if she can’t sell her house, she’ll likely take on a handful of students for a private class, which you don’t require a licence for.
Wolfe says she’s had parents who are concerned with the style of pre-primary the province will be implementing and who don’t feel their children are ready to attend classes at a larger school.
“Twenty four children in one class a the preschool level, there is not going to be a lot of help with the development of the children,” she says.
Meanwhile, another preschool in Queens is shutting its doors.
Reach For The Stars, which was owned and operated by Sarah Plummer, will not re-open in the fall.
Plummer has taken on the role of lead pre-primary teacher at the Dr. John C. Wickwire Academy.
Wolfe says she understands why Plummer took on the role and says if she was younger she likely would have as well.
During her 19 years operating her preschool, Wolfe has had over 500 children attend her classes.
In an emotional Facebook post, she thanked those families for being a part of her life.
“There were over 500 children and their families through my doors over the years and each and everyone very special. Thank you all, for without your support Juanita’s Children Centre would not have been as big a part of my life as you made it.”
Contributed photo
Story by Brittany Wentzell
@BrittWentzell
