Parents of young children in Smithers will soon have access to a range of early learning, health and family services in one convenient location.

A new BC Early Years Centre is scheduled to open in April 2015 at 1471 Columbia Drive to support families with children aged 0-6 years.

Hosted by the Bulkley Valley Child Development Centre, the centre offers a number of programs, services and supports, including:

• Community-based play groups.
• Toy and resource lending library.
• Consultation services.
• Referrals for early child development services and resources.

The Smithers BC Early Years Centre is one of 14 new centres throughout the province, bringing the total to 26. The chosen sites are in a diverse mix of urban, rural and Aboriginal communities, and will build on existing local community resources to enhance services for families. Each centre will receive $52,000 from the Provincial Office for the Early Years for this fiscal year as part of a $5.5-million investment over three years.

This is the second phase of an initiative under the BC Early Years Strategy to implement a network of Early Years Centres throughout the province that will provide families with one-stop, convenient access to a range of services and supports, information and referrals. The strategy is an eight-year government commitment to improve the accessibility, affordability and quality of early-years programs and services for families with young children.

Quotes:

Stephanie Cadieux, Minister of Children and Family Development -

“We want to give families with young children throughout the province easier access to the services they need to help kids reach their full potential. BC Early Years Centres bring together a range of health, early learning, child-care and family development programs and supports that are tailored to the needs of their local community.”

Kerri Bassett, executive director, Bulkley Valley Child Development Centre -

“Our Early Years Centre will be a referral hub to early childhood development services and resources for young children, families and community members within Moricetown, Smithers and Telkwa. The centre will align with our vision of ‘inspiring strength in families and exploring the potential in children and youth’.”

Quick Facts:

• Children’s experiences early in life have a profound and long-lasting effect on their future development and well-being. Studies show that positive early years’ experiences lead to better social, economic, and health outcomes, while chief economists have noted that the wide-spread and long-lasting benefits of investment in the early years far outweigh the costs.
• That’s why government has committed $76 million to support the first three years of the BC Early Years Strategy, which includes:
  • A new Provincial Office for the Early Years that helps ensure services across government, and throughout B.C., are co-ordinated and effective.
  • Support for the creation of up to 2,000 new licensed child-care spaces by March 2016 with the goal of opening 13,000 new spaces by 2020.
  • The B.C. Early Childhood Tax Benefit, starting April 2015. The benefit will provide $146 million annually to approximately 180,000 families with children under the age of six (up to $660 a year per child).
• The B.C. Early Years Strategy builds on the $1 billion per year government spends on early learning and childhood development initiatives, services and supports, including:
  • Success by 6, Children First and Aboriginal early childhood development programs.
  • Full-day kindergarten.
  • Programs that support healthy pregnancy, birth and infancy.
  • Early childhood development care and learning program investments, including public health nursing, Ready, Set, Learn programs and StrongStart BC early learning programs.
  • A variety of programs, services and supports to address the specific needs of children and youth with special needs.
• The Ministry of Children and Family Development provides child-care subsidies to help low-income families afford child care - helping approximately 45,000 children each year.
• The ministry has committed $323.5 million for child care in 2015-16, a 53% increase since 2000-01.
• Close to 107,000 licensed child-care spaces are funded in communities throughout B.C.

Learn More:

BC Early Years Strategy: www.mcf.gov.bc.ca/early_childhood/pdf/FamiliesAgenda_EarlyYearsStrategy_web.pdf

Provincial Office for the Early Years: www.mcf.gov.bc.ca/early_years/index.htm

Early childhood development programs funded through the Ministry of Children and Family Development: www.mcf.gov.bc.ca/early_childhood/index.htm

Early Learning programs funded through the Ministry of Education, including full-day kindergarten and StrongStart BC: www.bced.gov.bc.ca/early_learning/

Media Contacts:

Government Communications and Public Engagement
Ministry of Children and Family Development
250 356-1553