PRINCE RUPERT – Local families in Masset, Kitkatla and Hagensborg will soon be able to access 72 new licensed child-care spaces thanks to a $1.2 million investment through the province’s Child Care Major Capital Funding Program, announced Jennifer Rice, MLA for North Coast.

“These new spaces will provide families with quality care in licensed facilities,” said Rice. “And this is just the first step. Our government is moving as quickly as possible to create a universal and affordable child care program throughout the province.”

Funding is being provided to three facilities to help create the 72 new child care spaces:

• The Gitxaala Nation will receive $500,000 to create 24 spaces at the Gitxaala Day Care in Kitkatla.
• The Haida Gwaii School District (#50) will receive $265,000 to create 20 spaces at the Tahayghen School Child Care Centre in Masset.
• The Central Coast School District (#49) will receive $415,698 to create 28 new spaces at the Hagensborg Daycare Centre in Hagensborg.

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.

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