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VANCOUVER - Imagine young children playing outside in a natural environment, in a playground that can magically transform into what young minds dream of: a mighty sea for sailboats to navigate, an enchanted forest where creatures roam, and an outdoor theatre for the most inspired acting performances under the sun.

Thanks to a partnership between the Ministry of Children and Family Development (MCFD), the City of Vancouver, and Kiwassa Neighbourhood House, this vision will become a reality for children who attend Harbourview Daycare in Vancouver. The existing child care facility - located at 540 North Penticton Street, Vancouver - will be renovated and expanded, and the playground and surrounding green space will receive a major revamp.

The expansion will open up seven new child-care spaces for three- to five-year-olds, making this a 32-space facility when it re-opens next spring. The playground will be rebuilt to feature a running water moat that surrounds the play area, where children can play with sailboats or build dams.

The play area will also incorporate an outdoor stage area for skits, a bike trail, and a gardening centre where children can plant trees, flowers, and vegetables. The child-care centre will put a strong emphasis on environmentally friendly practices and learning - through the gardening centre, recycling and outdoor play.

The children currently enrolled at Harbourview Daycare are attending a nearby Kiwassa child-care facility, as they await the completion of the new facility. Construction began at the end of July and is expected to be complete within nine months.

The ministry has invested $455,000 in capital funding for the renovations with a $25,000 playground grant. The City of Vancouver has invested $648,000 toward renovations with a $17,000 playground grant.

Quick Facts:

• The B.C. government has invested more than $35 million in direct major capital funding to help community partners create more than 6,500 additional licensed child-care spaces in over 400 projects in B.C. since 2001.
• 97,000 licensed child-care spaces are funded in communities throughout the province.
• The government has created more than 30 neighbourhood hubs and partnered with BC Housing to co-locate 200 new child-care spaces with social housing projects.
• The annual investment in child-care subsidies, including special need supports, for low- and moderate-income families is $154 million this year. The subsidy program supports about 50,000 individual children each year.
• The government provides over $65 million for providers annually in child-care operating funding. More facilities are eligible for funding than ever before - with over 5,000 licensed child-care facilities throughout the province receiving funding.
• BC Child Care Resource and Referral Programs offer quality child-care referrals, resources and support to child-care providers and families in over 400 communities throughout the province.

Learn More:

If you are a parent and you want to find available child-care in your neighbourhood, go to:

http://www.ccrr.bc.ca/

If you are a parent and you want to find out more information about subsidies, go to: http://www.mcf.gov.bc.ca/childcare/subsidy_promo.htm

If you are a child-care provider and you want to learn more about available services through the ministry, go to: http://www.mcf.gov.bc.ca/childcare/providers.htm

Contact:

Corinna Filion
Communications Director
Ministry of Children and Family Development
250 356-2007