BELLA BELLA (WAGLISLA) - A place to dream. A place to play. A place to learn. Children in Bella Bella have just such a place to call their own as community residents and the Heiltsuk Tribal Council celebrated the grand opening of Qaqauailas (kway-AY-las) child-care centre.

The festivities marked the culmination of three years of hard work and the transformation of a $500,000 grant from the Province of B.C. into a building with room for 48 child-care spaces. Combined with money provided by the tribal council, the grant contributed to ground-up facility construction, equipment, furnishings, site development and building costs.

The name Qaqauailas, chosen by community elders and meaning Heiltsuk House of Learning, fits the First Nations theme of the building and programs offered at the centre. The building boasts heavy use of red cedar and the playground features a miniature Big House for a sandbox. The walls of the Big House are painted in traditional artwork of the four clans composing the Heiltsuk Nation: Raven, Eagle, Killer Whale and Wolf.

Qaqauailas has also secured four years of funding from the First Peoples Heritage, Language and Culture Council for the Language Nest Program, where elders visit and teach children the traditional Heiltsuk language. Other programs offered at the centre include: Seeds of Empathy, Early Learning Canada and Moe the Mouse(tm) Speech and Language Development Program.

Large glass patio doors at the centre allow it to be open to the elements - essentially allowing staff to bring the outside in and the inside out. As well, the building is architecturally green in air flow and uses radiant floor heat.

Local chiefs and councillors view the facility completion as a huge accomplishment that has unanimous support from community members.

A ribbon-cutting, a luncheon serving traditional dishes, singing and drumming marked the grand opening of the child-care centre, although it has been operational since May. The grand opening was also held in concert with an informational fair, spotlighting all programs that offer services for families with children under six years of age on the Heiltsuk reserve.

Quick Facts:

• More than $35 million in direct capital funding since 2001 has helped community partners create more than 6,500 additional licensed child-care spaces in over 400 projects in B.C.
• This year, the B.C. government is investing close to $300 million in child-care services, a 40 per cent increase since 2000-01.
• More than $65 million in operating funding supports 99,000 licensed child-care spaces in over 5,000 facilities throughout the province.
• The investment in child-care subsidies, including special need supports for low- and moderate-income families, is $154 million this year, helping approximately 54,000.
• BC Child Care Resource and Referral Programs offer support services to child-care providers and families in over 400 communities throughout the province.
• The BC Aboriginal Child Care Society is funded by the Province to support those services with culturally focused training and resources for parents and child-care providers.

Learn More:

To learn more about Qaqauailas, go to: http://www.qaqauailas.com/

If you are a parent and want to find available child care in your neighbourhood, go to: http://www.ccrr.bc.ca/

If you are a parent and 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 want to learn more about available government programs, go to: http://www.mcf.gov.bc.ca/childcare/providers.htm

Contact:

Cindy Rose
Media Relations
Ministry of Children and Family Development
250 356-1639