The future of childcare in Westlock is anything but certain after the executive director of the Westlock Child Care Society resigned earlier this month.
Leta MacGillivray, board chair of the society that oversees the Westlock daycare and several day homes in town, was tight-lipped about the situation but confirmed Roxanne Gilmar was no longer with the organization as of Jan. 10, 2014.
She would not comment, however, on the status of an audit or the long-term prospects for the day care — even to say if services would continue for the foreseeable future.
“I can tell you that yes, Roxanne has put in her resignation and we have accepted it,” she said last week. “That happened as of the 10th (of January). Further beyond that, we are not giving any comments at that time.”
Gilmar could not be reached for comment as of press time.
Trouble at the child-care society first became public at the Sept. 19, 2013, joint services committee meeting, where society representatives made a funding request to the Town of Westlock, Westlock County and the Village of Clyde.
The amount requested was $200,000 to help keep the organization afloat.
While the initial request was denied, municipal representatives worked with the society and its creditor, Servus Credit Union, to come to a solution.
“The recommendation was that we would provide a grant to the society for $5,000 a month for the next four months to help reduce their debt,” outgoing Westlock Mayor Bruce Lennon said in October.
At the time, Gilmar said the society would look take steps to get its finances under control: fees were to be raised, outstanding accounts were to be collected and payment was to be made at the beginning of the month rather than at the end.
The $20,000 grant was to be used as a stop-gap measure to cover the amount the society was exceeding its existing line of credit, Clyde mayor Doug Nyal said at the village’s Dec. 17 council meeting.
Councillors from all three municipalities, in discussing the details of the deal in their respective council meetings in December, had expressed reservations about the arrangement but the grant was nonetheless approved.
At the town council meeting last Tuesday, Jan. 14, mayor Ralph Leriger said the funding from the municipalities came with the condition that an auditor would look at the society’s financial records.
“We have completed that review and given that information back to the board. Now we would look to hear back from them about those recommendations and discuss the results,” he said. “It’s really in the board’s hands at this time.”
MacGillivray would not comment on the status of the audit or the future of the child-care society, but said more information would be forthcoming.
“As soon as we’re able to, I’m sure there will be a statement given, but at this time there’s no comment other than the resignation has been accepted,” she said.
