On March 21st, Gibsons Council approved the proposal for an Art & Play Garden to be built by and for Huckleberry Childcare and the Arts Building! Our garden will transform the existing lawn outside our building, beautifying a public greenspace and allowing our childcare centre to achieve the broader licensing category of Group Childcare for Fall 2017. With a Group Care license, hours of care may be expanded and children can be accepted at 30 months. The goal is to complete the landscape for summer.

Please come and join us for festivities and fundraising at the Hoppin' Huckleberry Hoopla. In addition to pizza, we will offer salad, veggies, ice cream and liquid refreshment. Stellar Silent Auction Loot! Bring the family for dancing and good times.
We are raising money for our fenced Art & Play Garden
​https://www.wayblaze.com/fundable_projects/huckleberry-coast-childcare-at-the-arts-building/

Huckleberry has hosted clothing swaps before, but this past Saturday was the first yard sale event our group has held. It was a blast! So many great people and their adorable children came through the room to see all of the loot. Thanks to the donors and the buyers: we raised almost $400! That's not too shabby for a day's work. Art & Play Garden here we come.

Have you ever thought that more could be done with the triangle of lawn outside the Arts Building, at the corner of South Fletcher and Winn? If you have dreamed of a community garden, play ground, flower beds or benches to rest on then we have exciting news! The Arts Building Society and Huckleberry Childcare are planning an Art & Play Garden.

A new, local crowd funding platform called Wayblaze is helping us raise money and community spirit. Add your great idea for a community project or jump on board to contribute to the Gibsons Public Library Children's Room or Huckleberry Childcare.
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Our vision includes you: this garden will be planted and maintained by community gardeners. There will be plein air painting classes, yoga in the garden, a picnic-or-performance-ready platform and native plants. 

Huckleberry Childcare is fundraising. Can you help us out?
Of course you can!
Label your kid's shoes, coats, water bottles, gym strip and lunch containers with Mabel's Labels. They don't fall off, so you won't lose those new back-to-school purchases. 
Clothing labels for assisted living laundry service too. You can even label horse blankets.
Find "Huckleberry Childcare" under the list of schools & organizations.
http://mabelslabels.com/support-a-fundraiser
Huckleberry gets 20% of what you spend, so thanks in advance! 
​​Oh, and if you don't need any labels but you think Huckleberry is a worthwhile cause to support, please look for our "donate" button on our WISH LIST page. 

Huckleberry Childcare is opening its doors at the Arts Building in September, which means that over the next four weeks all of us volunteers on the Board plus some generous friends will be readying the space for your children. That's right, if you have a child 3 years old to school age who needs part-time childcare, they can join us at Huckleberry.

​Email huckleberrycoast@gmail.com to put your child's name on our list.

We accept children for up to 40 hours of care/month. The centre offers care Monday to Thursday, 11am-4:30pm. A day is $45.
It is recommended that a child be registered either M/W or T/Th, which matches the schedule at Jack & Jill Preschool. If two families wish to share a space, and each send their child only 1 day/week, that is feasible. Please contact us for more information or to register.

Huckleberry Childcare is looking for a caregiver to lead our Occasional care licensed program for 3-5 year olds, starting at The Arts Building in September. Part-time position, approx. 28 hours/week M-Th; competitive wages. ECE certificate preferred but not required.
Creative, gentle, playful and outdoorsy individuals with experience in early years education and who are keen to help launch a new non-profit centre should reply to: huckleberrycoast@gmail.com by August 2nd

We are excited to announce that there is a new plan for realizing our dream of a real Huckleberry Daycare! In partnership with The Arts Building and Jack and Jill Preschool, Huckleberry aims to open a licensed part-time daycare for 3-5 year olds in the Spring of 2016. We will be located at 464 South Fletcher, in the Arts Building.

The first step is to complete some minor improvements to the physical space, and we are asking the community to help out. Our "Chili for Childcare" fundraiser is designed to gather donations of building supplies, furniture and toys as well as skilled labour. We know the Sunshine Coast has a big heart and talented people who may not be able to support our initiative financially (although if you can offer us a monetary donation, we would be thrilled). Donate a few hours of your time, or gently used toys and household goods, to make our daycare come to life. 

Come out for a bowl of chili cooked by Smitty's chef Conor Lowe, listen to some tunes by Sweet Cascadia, and find out how you can help build more quality childcare in Gibsons. Tickets available at Nineteen-02 Tea Bar and Giggle 'n Bloom, cash only please.

Last May, the legendary instructor behind the Gibsons Arts Building's infant/toddler art drop-in "Little Hands" retired. Laurel Sukkau was such a gentle force of early years art education, it is hard to think of Monday mornings without her. However, Huckleberry is proud to be taking over the reins as creative leader of this remarkable program. Come join the fun, the frey, the glee of making with very little hands.