The Soo Line Day Care will be moving into the Elgin Mall so they can expand, after receiving word the government will provide funding for 25 more day care spaces, including spaces for infant care.

The day care is currently located on 11th Street, and will begin soon on renovations to a new 4,500-square-foot space at the Elgin Mall, with a moving date tentatively set for next April.

"We're currently licenced for 50, and we'll be expanding the spaces to 75. We'll open to infant care which we've never done before," said Lori Hiltz, the director of the day care. Currently they take children from 18 months up to 12 years, and with the expansion they'll be able to take children as young as six months of age.

Along with the additional spaces, the staffing will grow from seven to 11, partly to accommodate the infant spaces, for which they need staffing of one staff per three infants.

Hiltz noted the province was allotted 150 new spaces in the federal government's last budget, and Soo Line will be getting 25 of those spaces at funding of $1,000 per space, or a total of $25,000 towards any needed renovations for the expansion. The estimated total needed will be around $75,000, so the day care is embarking on some fund-raising projects to help meet the targeted amount.

One fund-raiser ongoing is a scratch card lotto ticket, with which the day care will be drawing for a pair of Terri Clark tickets and dinner out. The day care has also had an entertainment system donated, and they will be organizing a fund-raiser event for that prize. A Santa Day event is tentatively planned for Saturday, Dec. 17.

The cooperative will also be approaching the commercial and corporate business sector for assistance in reaching the $50,000 needed to do the renovations.

In the meantime, the day care is looking for any donations of items like high chairs or children's toys, or of volunteer labour to help with the renovations. The goal is to be able to start the renovations by mid-December, said Hiltz, who asked that volunteers contact her to leave their name or to get further information.