One year ago, work began on establishing a children’s centre to serve the families of Martensville and Warman.

Today, (Sat) doors opened at the new Early Years Family Resource Centre, where children ages 0 to 6 and their parents are invited to play, connect, and gain access to supports. The Centre is operating out of Martensville and is ran by the YMCA of Saskatoon.

YMCA CEO DeeAnne Mercier says the facility will provide drop-in play, parent education sessions, parent resources, family welfare discussions and visits with childcare experts, all of which are free for the public.

“There are just so few places where families can go that are free and affordable, and where there’s no expectations. It’s all free of charge so they can just come and have some family support,” Mercier explains. “Martensville and Warman are places where a lot of young families are. A lot of people are moving here because it’s affordable. These cities also need resources and those sorts of supports to have those young families moving to the community.”

The facility, on Martensville’s Centennial Drive, features two large playrooms: one for creative play, and the other for locomotor play, along with a craft room, a kitchen, and various meeting rooms.

This is just one of 21 Early Years Family Resource Centres in 19 communities across Saskatchewan, all of which are funded by the federal and provincial governments.

She says the best way to find out what the Centre’s programming will look like is through the Center’s website and Instagram account.