New Democrat MLA Harwinder Sandhu says families in Lumby will save money on child care as local child care sites become $10 a Day ChildCareBC sites where fees are capped at a maximum of $200 a month per child.

“Having safe, accessible and affordable childcare is so important for parents and caregivers, especially when they find care close to home,” said Vernon-Monashee MLA Harwinder Sandhu. “Quality and affordable childcare means parents and caregivers can focus on work or studies without worries. I am so thrilled families will be able to access these affordable spaces in their communities. I have heard first-hand from so many families in our riding the benefits of these important investments and it’s so reassuring.”

The Jiminy Crickets Childcare centre in Lumby is becoming a $10 a Day ChildCareBC site,  which means 34 child care spaces will have fees dramatically reduced for parents.

The Maven Lane centre in Lavington is also becoming a $10 a Day site, and 28 spaces will have reduced fees.

Spaces in the $10 a Day ChildCareBC program reduce the average cost of child care from $1,000 a month at participating facilities (for full-time, centre-based infant care) to $200 a month, saving families approximately $800 a month per child on average. The newly approved $10-a-day spaces are being offered at 61 child care centres throughout B.C., bringing the total number of $10 a Day spaces in B.C. to nearly 11,000.

In addition to these spaces, the Province, with federal funding support, is helping approximately 69,000 families with the cost of child care at centres that are not part of the $10-a-day program through child care fee reductions of up to $550 more per month per child. These savings, which kicked in on Dec. 1, 2022, are in addition to the $350 per month per child that families have been saving through the Child Care Fee Reduction Initiative since 2018.

For more information on the $10 a Day ChildCareBC sites and spaces: www.gov.bc.ca/childcare10aDaysites