Local municipal leaders are looking closely at childcare programming after parents raised concerns that young children are spending too much of their day staring at screens.
Before the official agenda kicked off at the July 27 council meeting in Sandy Lake, a few councillors used the informal pre-meeting discussion period to bring forward community complaints regarding the local daycare.
Reeve Marcel D. Auger and Councillor Gerald Johnson along with Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Chad Tullis noted that parents are specifically frustrated by a recurring activity dubbed ‘Tech Fridays.’ According to local families, children are being encouraged to bring their own iPads and tablets to the daycare, and are allegedly spending almost the entire day glued to digital devices.
Parents who intentionally work hard to limit screen time at home told councillors they were disappointed to learn their kids were getting a heavy dose of media while at the childcare facility.
The concern touches on a broader, nationwide conversation highlighted by child health experts. Organizations like the Canadian Paediatric Society and the World Health Organization strongly recommend limiting screen time for young children, warning that excessive digital consumption can negatively impact language development, sleep patterns, attention spans and social skills.
Reeve Auger pointed out that an overreliance on screens directly cuts into the vital, hands-on activities that toddlers and young children need for healthy growth.
“When we see what is happening with the kids, there is a clear lack of social connections and playtime,” Auger said during the discussion, emphasizing the deep importance of active, physical engagement over digital entertainment.
Tullis agreed that the municipality needs to look into the matter and get a clearer picture of what is actually happening in the classrooms on those days.
“My understanding is that it keeps them occupied for a small portion of the day, but I want to get some further details on how it is being run,” Tullis said.
Tullis promised the council that the administration would investigate the daycare’s screen time policies, determine exactly how many hours the kids are spending on devices, and report back with more information.
Armaan Khanna
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter