BC NDP MLA Shah says new child care spaces will benefit families in Surrey

SURREY- BC New Democrat MLA Amna Shah says that families in Surrey will benefit from new child care spaces opening this fall.

“Affordable child care helps parents return to work or school, while kids develop important social and learning skills before kindergarten,” said Amna Shah, MLA for Surrey-City Centre. “I am thrilled that up to 80 more families will have access to child care here in Surrey this fall.”

In Surrey, two child care centres are expanding spaces:

  • Smilestones Learning Society; 60 spaces (24 spaces for infant-toddlers, 36 spaces for 30 months to kindergarten)
  • Surrey Sport and Leisure; 20 spaces for 30 months to kindergarten

Nearly $34 million in ChildCareBC New Spaces funding was provided to non-profit organizations, local and Indigenous governments to create these new child care spaces. The New Spaces Fund is jointly supported by provincial investments and federal funding under the 2021-2022 to 2025-2026 Canada-British Columbia Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement. British Columbia and the federal government signed an extension to the agreement for 2026-2027 to 2030-2031.

Families who attend these centres will benefit from affordable child care fees, through the Province’s fee reduction program, which reduces the cost of child care by up to $900 per child per month.