VICTORIA – Children and Family Development Minister and Kootenay West MLA Katrine Conroy is welcoming new funding that will deliver inclusive child care for between 15-18 children with extra support needs at Kootenay Family Place in Castlegar. This investment is part of the B.C. government’s Early Learning and Child Care (ELCC) agreement with the Government of Canada.

“As a former Early Childhood Educator, I’ve seen first-hand the barriers that families with extra support needs face when it comes to accessing child care,” said Conroy. “This funding will break down some of those barriers and bring relief to local families who have been struggling for too long. It is a first step towards delivering more inclusive quality child care for children with extra support needs and I couldn’t be happier to welcome this investment to my own community.”

Kootenay Family Place is just one of the 83 organizations across the province that will be sharing $30 million in funding. The funding which will be allotted over the next three years is aimed at expanding and enhancing the province’s Supported Child Development and Aboriginal Supported Child Development programs for families with extra support needs.

For more information: http://news.gov.bc.ca/18343