A Surrey child-care centre will hold a grand opening today at its new building - a beautifully restored heritage house with a new sandbox for building sandcastle masterpieces, a jungle gym for young acrobats to perform and giant cedar trees for playing hide and go seek.

The Roots and Wings Montessori Heritage Home Child Care - a 48-space child-care centre for three to five-year-olds - had been operating in a modular school, but now it has been moved into a newly restored heritage house on the same lot.

Renovated from top to bottom, the heritage house is naturally lit through large windows where the children can enjoy the natural landscape. The playground and surrounding green space has been revamped to incorporate climbing equipment, organic gardening and composting to help children connect to nature and ecosystems.

Renovations took place from April 2011 to March 2012. The doors officially opened on April 4, 2012. The Ministry of Children and Family Development and Roots and Wings Montessori each invested $200,000 in the project.

The child-care centre is part of the larger group of Roots and Wings Montessori centres and schools, founded in Surrey in 1985. Roots and Wings Montessori, following the philosophy begun in 1907 by Maria Montessori, focuses on a child's natural love of learning and provides materials and lessons which encourage them to investigate, imagine and discover.

Quotes:

Stephanie Cadieux, MLA for Surrey-Panorama and Minister of Social Development -

"Today is a celebration for parents, children, and the community. The B.C. government is committed to working closely with families and communities to create a strong foundation for early childhood development, early learning and child care. My constituency will benefit from this newly renovated facility, which provides 48 child-care spaces for young children in the community."

Mary McNeil, Minister of Children and Family Development -

"Connecting with nature and inspiring creative play for children are two wonderful themes of modern child cares, and Roots and Wings Montessori has done an exceptional job of bringing these themes to this centre in Surrey. Thanks to this partnership, young children will have the opportunity to grow, play and learn in a healthy, enriching environment."

Kristin Cassie, principal, Roots and Wings Montessori -

"We're delighted with this new centre, which melds the heritage values of children's freedom and connection with the earth, with their guidance in Roots and Wings Montessori's goals for their peaceful future."

Christine Crowe, parent with a child enrolled in Roots and Wings Montessori Heritage Home Child Care -

"The heritage house child-care space is so big and bright and beautiful - I love it! My child really enjoys attending this child care - both for the indoor learning activities, and the outdoor playground activities. We are thankful to everyone involved in this project - as the children really benefit."

Sydney Biddell, age 4, enrolled in Roots and Wings Montessori Heritage Home Child Care -

"I like eating snacks because the snack table is by the window and I like looking out."

Learn More:

If you are a parent and you want to find available child care in your neighbourhood or you would like more information on the child-care subsidy program, go to: www.mcf.gov.bc.ca/childcare/parents.htm

If you are a child-care operator and would like more information on funding and services offered through the government, go to: www.mcf.gov.bc.ca/childcare/providers.htm

To learn more about Roots and Wings Montessori, go to: www.rootsandwingsbc.com

Contact:

Shae Greenfield
Media Relations Manager
Ministry of Children and Family Development
250 356-1639
250 508-8403 (cell)

BACKGROUNDER

April 20, 2012 Ministry of Children and Family Development

Facts about child care in B.C.

• 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 since 2001.
• The Ministry of Children and Family Development's $200,000 major capital investment in Roots and Wings Montessori Heritage Home Child Care came from the 2007- 08 major capital budget.
• MCFD will spend $296 million on child care in 2012-13. That is a 40 per cent increase since 2000-01.
• This funding goes toward:
• Operating funding for more than 100,000 licensed child-care spaces in communities throughout the province.
• Child-care subsidies, including special need supports, for low and moderate income families - supporting more than 50,000 children.
• BC Child Care Resource and Referral Programs, which offer quality child-care referrals, resources and support to child-care providers and families in over 400 communities throughout the province.
• Minor capital funding to help licensed group child-care providers to meet provincial licensing requirements related to upgrading or repairing existing facilities, replacing equipment and furnishings or assisting with moving costs.

• The government invested $365 million over three years for full-day kindergarten for five year olds. This is improving early learning while reducing child care pressure on families.
• In addition, the government made a regulation change last year increasing the maximum capacity of after-school child-care programs, resulting in the creation of more spaces.

Contact:

Shae Greenfield
Media Relations Manager
Ministry of Children and Family Development
250 356-1639
250 508-8403 (cell)