British Columbia highlights school-based child care spaces

British Columbia has announced that 640 new or recently opened child care spaces are now available on school grounds in 12 communities across the province. The spaces provide child care for young children and school-aged children. 

The spaces were funded with $23.5 million provided through the ChildCareBC New Spaces funding initiative, which is jointly supported by provincial and federal investments as part of the Canada-British Columbia Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement.

Child Care Now and provincial advocates welcome new spaces on school grounds and appreciate that the provincial Minister of Education and Child Care and Parliamentary Secretary, federal Minister of State for Children and Youth, local Members of Parliament, local School Trustees, and the Mayor all attended the announcement and spoke to the importance of creating child care on school grounds. 
However, in British Columbia only 12% of school aged children in BC currently have access to a licensed child care space – and there are more children on waiting lists in this age group than any other.