The end of the current school year will also mark the conclusion of the DOSCA before and after school program in the Town of Didsbury.
According to a media release, DOSCA – the Didsbury Out of School Care Association – began as a not-for-profit society in 2006 and in 2008 it moved under the management of the Town.
As Mayor Rhonda Hunter explains what was once a financially self-sufficient program has experienced significant deficits in each of the last two years. She notes the decision that makes sense to Town of Didsbury council is to close the program at the end of the current school year and not incur those deficits going forward. Mayor Hunter says “we know that we have amazing daycares and day homes in Didsbury and, you know, there is a lot of spots in our daycare and day homes and we trust and hope that there is a spot for those before and after school kids that need that service but a municipality supporting that service and taxpayers isn’t something that we feel is responsible.”
Mayor Hunter adds, the DOSCA program had financial shortfalls in 2023 and 2024. She says “our bylaw says it has to be self supporting, so we started conversations and sent it to our financial planning committee and ultimately with two years in a row of deficits – over $48,000 total, we just couldn’t see the viability of continuing the program and counting on deficits and internal owing which becomes a real problem eventually.”
She suggests calling the Town’s FCSS department for more details about other options for care providers in the community that are open to before and after school care. Mayor Hunter says “we understand the value this program brought to the families that used it and we know the excellence of the child care from our DOSCA team. We understand all that and, you know, they go above and beyond and they truly love the kids in the program. So we do know that.”
