VICTORIA – Families in Port Hardy will benefit from 12 new licensed child care spaces thanks to a $38,415 investment through the province’s Childcare BC New Spaces Fund, announced New Democrat MLA for North Island, Claire Trevena.

To help deliver these new spaces, the B.C. government has partnered with School Board No. 85 as well as the North Island Crisis and Counselling Centre.

“Parents have struggled to find adequate child care for years,” said Trevena. “Today’s announcement will come as a relief to those who have been eagerly awaiting care options so they could return to work.”

This is a renovation of an existing modular built in 1997 on Port Hardy Secondary School property, which hasn’t been used in years. The proposed project will renovate half of this building to create 12 Group Child Care (under 36 months) spaces. The other half of the building will be used as an office for local early intervention programs.

Trevena added that two spaces in the centre will be reserved for high school students requiring child care while attending classes and the centre will work with school counsellors to support young parents and their children, provide parents with resources, referrals to services and programs and assist parents with subsidy applications.

These new child care spaces are part of our commitment to deliver more affordable care across the province. The fund will continue to support the creation of more spaces, making life easier for families.

For more information, please visit: www.gov.bc.ca/childcare.