A dozen communities throughout the province are getting 640 new child care spaces on school grounds, including 12 spaces at Elkford’s Rocky Mountain Elementary School with South Kootenay School District (SD5).

“As the new school year begins, hundreds of new licensed child care spaces on school grounds will make a real difference for families as they figure out their routines for the new school year,” said Lisa Beare, B.C.’s Minister of Education and Child Care.

“These spaces are the result of strong partnerships with school districts. Together, we’re supporting parents’ access to affordable, high-quality child care where and when they need it most – close to home, right at school and in familiar settings.”

More than $23.5 million in ChildCareBC New Spaces funding was provided to school districts to create these new child care spaces.

The New Spaces Fund is jointly supported by provincial investments and federal funding under the 2021-22 to 2025-26 Canada-British Columbia Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement. British Columbia and the federal government signed an extension to the agreement for 2026-27 until 2030-31.

When the new facilities are open, families will benefit from affordable child care fees, through the province’s fee-reduction program, which reduces the cost of child care by as much as $900 per child per month. Families that need additional support with the cost of child care may also be eligible for the Affordable Child Care Benefit, a Ministry of Education and Child Care and Employment and Social Development Canada media release said.

Since 2018, ChildCareBC’s space-creation programs have helped to fund more than 41,500 new licensed child care spaces in B.C. Of these, 26,200 are open and providing care for families.

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