251 new licensed child-care spaces are on their way to Greater Victoria

VICTORIA – Local families in Greater Victoria will soon be able to access 251 new licensed child-care spaces thanks to a more than $2.7 million investment through the Province’s Child Care Major Capital Funding Program.

This investment includes $174,381 for the Cloverdale Child Care Society, $387,000 for the Arbutus Grove Nature Program & Out of School Care, $500,000 for Child Care Complex B at the University of Victoria, $219,137 for Kids Klub Torquay, $218,937 for Kids Klub Northridge, $200,957 for Kids Klub Braefoot, $12,400 for the Curious Kids Infant and Toddler Centre, $250,000 for the Victoria Montessori Childcare Centre, $388,548 for the James Bay Infant Plus Daycare Centre, and $371,173 for the Phoenix Child Care Centre with the Victoria Immigrant and Refugee Centre Society. Altogether the investment will create 251 new child-care spaces in Greater Victoria.

This investment will allow child-care providers 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.
  • Buy eligible equipment (including playground equipment) and furnishings as part of the above activities to support new child-care spaces in an existing facility.

The Province is now in the process of working with child-care providers to sign 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.

Quotes:

“These new spaces are a first step towards improving access to child-care spaces and keeping our promise to implement universal child care in B.C..” – Carole James, New Democrat MLA for Victoria – Beacon Hill

“Under the B.C. Liberal government, the child-care crisis in B.C. got worse, not better. Our government is committed to changing that by accelerating the creation of new child-care spaces throughout the province.” – Rob Fleming, MLA for Victoria – Swan Lake

“We believe that every family deserves access to affordable, quality child-care when they need it. These 251 new spaces are just a start, and we know there’s more work to do. We’re committed to making life more affordable for B.C. families.” – Lana Popham, MLA for Saanich South

Accelerating the creation of new child-care spaces is part of the B.C. government’s commitment to improve accessibility for families and supports its long-term goal of implementing universal child-care in B.C. For more information, please visit: www.gov.bc.ca/childcare.