The Organization
Andrew Fleck Children’s Services (AFCS) is one of the oldest most diversified, multi-service early learning child care and family support organizations in Ontario. It began operation in 1911 as a not-for-profit organization. AFCS has always taken a leadership role in the child care community and in early childhood education. Over 100 years, it has developed innovative programs and expanded the organization to provide a comprehensive range of services that meet the diverse early learning and child care needs of families. AFCS takes pride in being innovative, progressive, responsive and most importantly, committed to excellence in all its services.
The Project
In collaboration with a local church they are working together to construct a purposely designed location that will house licensed child care for children (infants, toddlers and preschoolers) on the ground floor with not-for-profit housing. Rather than a single story, stand-alone building, the Church congregation, and AFCS are focused on creating an additional community partner to co-construct an additional 3 storeys to create-mixed housing use – for singles, families and older adults. The early learning and child care program will have spaces for families living in the building and also the community. The intention is for there to be natural as well as planned engagement opportunities between the child care and the residents. They are currently in the midst of a 4-year project to create 3 intergenerational demonstration sites in 3 locations, close to a long-term care home, in the community, which includes a church and on a shared site with a large long-term care home organization.