Dufferin Community Services and Orangeville District Secondary School are proposing a Partnership Pilot Program to provide education and child care to registered students lacking child care.

In a report to be presented to county council tonight, Community Services Director Keith Palmer says the high school made the initial approach to the County, and then “a pilot program was brain stormed that would target parenting or pregnant young mothers who have not graduated from high school.”

He describes the program as not only providing “a caring and supportive environment in which to learn facets of quality childcare, education and parenting,” but as involving no cost to taxpayers.

“Successful completion of this program (facets of quality childcare, education and parenting) will also provide students with a Grade 12 diploma,” he says.

The child care division of Community Services would hire five part-time certified Early Childhood Education teachers, and ODSS would undergo renovations to accommodate the program in accordance with requirements of the ministry of children and youth services.

The program would accommodate as many as 15 students in its first year on a “cost recovery basis,” partially through provincial grants and partly through user fees.

It would run four afternoons at ODSS and one afternoon at the Early Years Centre.

Infants would be housed at ODSS and toddlers at the Jean Hamlyn Day Care Centre.

Mr. Palmer said the costs of staffing would be $68,400, but total revenue would be $81,600 – for a net gain of $5,200.

If Council approves the plan, the program would start Sept. 7.