ABC Head Start Society is a registered charity that provides family support and early learning and development programming at no cost.
The program caters to vulnerable kids aged between three and five years old.
“We have several kids that do enter the program and they have speech language behaviour and development delays and to see any sort of growth in their child and know that child is being put on the great path and they can enter kindergarten because of our programming. I mean we’re just setting up those kids and families for success,” said Erin Gobolos, Interim executive director.
This year, ABC head start is serving 400 children across 12 classrooms across five different locations in the city.
Gobolos says the organization might have found a new space to replace the Montrose school, adding that they’re in a critical need to find an affordable turnkey space in the west end.
“We are zoned for child care so that often limits us as well in terms of the spaces that we can seek,” said Gobolos.
ABC head start is primarily funded through Alberta education, family and corporate foundations as well as private donors.
“We’ve benefited for many years operating in schools with really low leases, no for us to go out to the commercial market and have to secure leases becomes very unaffordable for us,” said Gobolos.
Now, the organization is turning to the community for help.
It’s calling on developers, landlords and stakeholders to help find affordable classroom space before students’ registration in February.