Families in 30 B.C. communities will soon benefit from 1,818 new licensed child-care spaces, including 16 in Cranbrook.

Minister of Children and Family Development Stephanie Cadieux today announced a $11.3-million investment through the Child Care Major Capital Funding Program, with Cranbrook’s High Peak Early Learning Centre receiving $22,191 to create 16 spaces for children aged three to five years.

“Finding quality child care is key for parents who are heading back to work or pursuing higher education or training. These new licensed spaces will help bring peace of mind to thousands of B.C. parents who can drop their kids off in the morning knowing they’ll be well cared for in a rich learning environment,” Cadieux stated.

In November 2015, the B.C. government encouraged B.C. child-care providers to apply for the third round of major capital funding to support the creation of new licensed child-care spaces. As a result of this process, 45 projects are receiving funding to create new spaces in their communities. Child-care major capital funding supports non-profit and private child-care organizations to:

* Build a new child-care facility, including the cost of buying land or a building;

* Purchase and assemble a modular building and develop a site;

* Renovate an existing building;

* And/or buy eligible equipment (including playground equipment) and furnishings to support new child-care spaces in an existing facility.

As stated in the selection criteria outlined as part of the application process, priority was placed on applications proposing to create child-care spaces in underserved areas of B.C. – including Surrey, Richmond, Vancouver, Burnaby and Coquitlam – and on school grounds, where children can smoothly transition from early years programs, to the classroom and to before- and after-school care, a Ministry of Children and Family Development press release outlined.

The province is now in the process of working with the successful proponents to establish project agreements that include the specific requirements that providers have identified for each site, such as the need to lease or buy property, obtain local zoning permits and hire contractors to renovate the sites. Construction and renovations for the majority of the approved projects are expected to begin shortly; however, each site’s timelines for completion will differ, depending on their individual proposal requirements.

Since November 2014, MCFD has invested $26.5 million to support the creation of more than 4,300 new licensed child-care spaces in B.C. as part of government’s commitment to create 13,000 spaces by 2020. This builds on the more than 111,000 licensed child-care spaces that are currently funded throughout the province.

“This new investment will help provide families with more options when they’re looking for child care throughout the province,” said Wayne Robertson, chair of the Provincial Child Care Council.

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