Oliver Centre

Oliver Centre has been a not-for-profit community agency providing children's services and family resources since its inception in May of 1980 as an Out of School Care program serving 22 children. The Centre now has an enrollment of over 300 children and their families, through a variety of programs. Due to the transient population of the neighborh... ood and to the continual requests for child care for younger children. The preschool program emerged in January of 1986. Oliver Centre expanded its preschool program in September of 1990, to include children as young as 13 months. Currently we are serving 58 children and their families in a Head Start program with wrap around Child Care. This service enables low-income families to remain in the workforce and student families to complete their education. The addition of younger children and the later expansion of Head Start Child Care spaces has been a stabilizing factor for our families. In 1996, Half-day Head Start was introduced as a satellite program located in Calder Elementary School in order to serve a high needs neighborhood. To date, the Centre has a second site at Oliver now accommodating 122 children and families between both programs. Due to the over crowding of schools in the Edmonton area the Half Day Head Start has moved to Dover Court School for the September 2013-2014 school year. In 1997, Success by 6© requested Oliver Centre to administer the first Classroom on Wheels program. This was a unique program that travelled into communities, bringing services directly to pre-school children and families who may have needed additional supports due to the effects of poverty. This program expanded to provide a toddler/infant program; both programs served approximately 80 children per week. The Classroom on Wheels Program ended in the summer of 2006. As an acknowledgement that the majority of our families are living below the poverty line, the services have expanded to better help children and families. Social Workers, teachers, early childhood educators and ...Read More