Families in the Lower Mainland will soon have access to more than 140 new licensed child care spaces as part of the Province’s ongoing commitment to increase child care through the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.
“I’m proud that our government’s investments are removing barriers and making a difference for people. This is great news for children and families across Vancouver,” said Adrian Dix, MLA for Vancouver-Kingsway. “Not only will the CCAA Childcare Centre in my riding offer translation services to families in Mandarin, Korean, Greek, Armenian, Russian, Serbian, Urdu and French, their relationship with the B.C. Centre for Ability will allow them to make collaborative care plans for children requiring extra support.”
Childcare BC’s New Spaces Fund is supporting five projects in Vancouver and North Vancouver that will create 143 new spaces:
- CCAA Childcare Centre (Vancouver) – 16 spaces
- The Big Playhouse (Vancouver) – 21 spaces
- Capilano University Children’s Centre (North Vancouver) – 74 spaces
- Little Buddies Daycare (North Vancouver) – 24 spaces
- Little Steps Learning Centre (North Vancouver) – eight spaces
“These new facilities will provide quality care for local children, as well as learning and practicum opportunities for future early childhood educators,” said Bowinn Ma, MLA for North-Vancouver Lonsdale. “Training the next generation of early childhood educators is an important part of our commitment to making child care more accessible and affordable for families.”
July 2020 marks the second anniversary of the launch of the New Spaces Fund, which has approved an average of 700 new spaces for funding each month. So far, nearly 16,800 new spaces have been funded throughout the province, helping parents return to work, go back to school or pursue other opportunities.
“Providing quality, affordable and inclusive child care goes hand in hand with a strong, vibrant economy,” said Katrina Chen, Minister of State for Child Care. “By funding nearly 16,800 new licensed spaces throughout the province, our government is helping more parents return to work, go back to school or pursue other opportunities knowing that when they drop their kids off in the morning, they’ll get the nurturing support they need to grow and thrive.”
These new spaces are part of the fastest creation of child care spaces in B.C.’s history. An additional 4,100 spaces, funded through the 2017 Budget Update and the Early Learning and Child Care agreement with the Government of Canada, means that more than 20,900 new licensed spaces have been funded since July 2017.
Investing in child care and early childhood education is a shared priority between government and the BC Green Party caucus and is part of the Confidence and Supply Agreement.
Quick Facts:
- These investments mean 3,849 new licensed child care spaces have been funded in Vancouver and North Vancouver since July 2018.
- As the Province moves towards its “new normal” under COVID-19, child care capital builds may see unexpected delays.
- Once operational, child care providers will be required to follow guidelines provided by the Ministry of Health and BC Centre for Disease Control to keep staff and the families they serve safe and to limit the risk of transmission.
Learn More:
For information on health and safety standards for child care, visit: www.gov.bc.ca/ChildCareCovid-19Response
For more about Childcare BC, visit: www.gov.bc.ca/childcare
For more information on child care in North Vancouver, visit: http://www.nscr.ca/
For more information on child care in Vancouver, visit: https://www.wstcoast.org/
To learn more about the Childcare BC New Spaces Fund, visit: www.gov.bc.ca/childcare/newspacesfund
To find child care in your community, view the online child care map: http://maps.gov.bc.ca/ess/hm/ccf/
Child care factsheet: https://news.gov.bc.ca/18430
For more information on the Childcare BC Universal Prototype Sites, visit: www.gov.bc.ca/childcareprototypesites