Children and Family Development
VANCOUVER - Families in 14 B.C. communities will soon have access to 1,488 new licensed child-care spaces thanks to an investment of $8.2 million through the Child Care Major Capital Funding Program, Children and Family Development Minister Stephanie Cadieux announced today at the South Vancouver Neighbourhood House.
In January 2015, the Province encouraged child-care providers throughout the province to apply for the second round of major capital funding to support the creation of new licensed child-care spaces for B.C. kids. As a result of this process, 26 child-care providers are receiving funding to create new spaces in their communities. Child-care major capital funding supports non-profit and private child-care organizations to:
- Build a new child-care facility, including the cost of buying land or a building.
- Purchase and assemble a modular building and develop a site.
- Renovate an existing building.
- And/or buy eligible equipment (including playground equipment) and furnishings to support new child-care spaces in an existing facility.
As stated in the selection criteria outlined as part of the application process, priority was placed on applications proposing to create child-care spaces in underserved areas of B.C. - including Surrey, Vancouver, Prince George and Langford - and on school grounds, where children can smoothly transition from early years programs, to the classroom, to before- and after-school care.
(flickr.com) The organizations receiving funding from the second intake period will create 434 child-care spaces on school grounds and 1,054 child-care spaces in other facilities, 245 of which are co-located with other early years and family programs - including a recently established BC Early Years Centre in Williams Lake - thus creating a comprehensive one-stop shop for parents looking for easy access to a range of early years and family services and supports.
The Province is now in the process of working with the successful proponents to establish project agreements that include the specific requirements that providers have identified for each site, such as the need to lease or buy property, obtain local zoning permits and hire contractors to renovate the sites. Construction and renovations for the majority of the approved projects are expected to begin shortly; however, each site’s timelines for completion will differ depending on their individual proposal requirements.
Since November 2014, the Province has invested a total of $15.2 million to support the creation of more than 2,400 new child-care spaces throughout B.C. These 1,488 new spaces build on the spaces the Province funded through the first major capital funding phase and add to the approximately 107,000 spaces that government currently supports throughout B.C.
Quotes:
Stephanie Cadieux, Minister of Children and Family Development -
“The BC Early Years Strategy is government’s commitment to helping parents by improving the access, quality and affordability of child care throughout the province. The creation of these new licensed child-care spaces for B.C. families builds on our commitment towards our ultimate goal of creating 13,000 new licensed spaces over the next eight years.”
Wayne Robertson, chair, Provincial Child Care Council -
“Finding quality child care is a key priority for parents, no matter where they live in the province. These new licensed child-care spaces will benefit families throughout the province, giving them much-needed peace of mind knowing that their children will be well cared for in safe, nurturing and supportive environments.”
Karen Larcombe, executive director, South Vancouver Neighbourhood House -
“With this new funding, the South Vancouver Neighbourhood House will develop a new child care and family support hub - the South Hill Neighbourhood Centre - which will be located in the middle of the bustling community of South Fraser Street where parents from diverse backgrounds are in search of high-quality child care for their children.”
“The new spaces will provide two licensed child-care programs - a bilingual English/Mandarin Preschool and an After-School Care program. The new centre will promises to become the heart of the community - a place where families can access child care and other community-based services and programs under one roof.”
(flickr.com) Quick Facts:
- The B.C. government has committed $323.5 million for child care in 2015/16, a 53% increase over 2000-01.
- The Ministry of Children and Family Development provides child-care subsidies to help low-income families afford child care - helping an average of about 24,500 children each month.
- To make child care more affordable for families, government introduced the B.C. Early Childhood Tax Benefit in April 2015. The benefit will provide $146 million annually to approximately 180,000 families with children under the age of six years (up to $660 a year per child).
- The BC Early Years 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.
- The 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 Association of Neighbourhood Houses of BC (South Vancouver Neighbourhood House) is receiving $149,000 to create 30 licensed child-care spaces - 15 preschool spaces and 15 school-aged spaces that are co-located at the South Hill Neighbourhood Centre.
- The South Vancouver Neighbourhood House provides many supports and services for children, youth, adults, families and seniors, including junior leadership programs, settlement services for newcomers to B.C., parenting programs, an Aboriginal Women’s Circle, a Filipino Parent Support Circle, domestic violence support, and support for single mothers.
Learn More:
For more information on the capital funding program, including applications and criteria, visit: www.mcf.gov.bc.ca/childcare/major_capital.htm
To learn more about the current range of early years services in B.C. and the BC Early Years Strategy, which aims to make early years programs and services more integrated, accessible, affordable and higher quality: www.mcf.gov.bc.ca/early_childhood/pdf/FamiliesAgenda_EarlyYearsStrategy_web.pdf
For more information on the South Vancouver Neighbourhood House, visit: www.southvan.org/
A backgrounder follows.
Media Contacts:
Government Communications and Public Engagement
Ministry of Children and Family Development
250 356-1553
250 213-5572
BACKGROUNDER
B.C. communities receive 1,488 new child-care spaces
This backgrounder contains more information on the 26 organizations that are sharing $8.2 million in major capital funding to create a total of 1,488 new child-care spaces in B.C. Funding for the new spaces has been allocated based on the following criteria:
- Non-profit child-care providers are eligible to receive up $500,000.
- Private (for-profit, including family child care) providers can receive up to $250,000.
- Targeted: Projects creating new licensed child-care spaces on school grounds are eligible to receive up to 90% of the total project cost (applicants are responsible for the remaining 10%).
- Co-Located: Projects creating new licensed child-care spaces that are co-located with other family support programs are eligible to receive up to 80% (applicants are responsible for the remaining 20%).
- Regular: All other projects are eligible to receive up to 75% (applicants are responsible for the remaining 25%).
- Not every project application is for the maximum provincial investment available, as their projects may be smaller or their costs may be lower (e.g., family providers).
- The actual costs-per-space varies due to a range of factors, including the type of space being built and the community profile.
- For example, a family child-care provider could potentially build new spaces for approximately $500/space, while a group-care provider located in a rural/remote community could potentially have a higher cost per space.
The details on funding, including the type of funding for each successful applicant, are included below. More information on each project will be available once project agreements have been finalized.
Abbotsford
Regular: Little Koala Montessori Childcare Ltd. is receiving $249,998 to create 53 spaces - 12 infant/toddler spaces and 41 spaces for children aged three to five years at Little Koala Montessori Academy.
Coal Harbour
Targeted: The Quatsino First Nation is receiving $492,643 to create 28 spaces at Quatsino K’ak’ot’lats’i School - 4 infant/toddler spaces, 16 spaces for children aged three to five years and eight multi-aged spaces.
Duncan
Targeted: The Parkside Academy Society is receiving $39,661 to create 42 spaces at Somenos Rural Traditional Elementary school - 12 infant/toddler spaces and 30 school-aged spaces.
Fort St. James
Co-Located: The Nechako Valley Community Services Society is receiving $126,642 to create 28 spaces - eight infant/toddler spaces and 20 spaces for children aged three to five years. These spaces will be co-located on a site with other supports and services, including Carrier Sekani Family Services, child and youth mental health, children who witness abuse, infant development, and a child and youth worker.
Hazelton
Targeted: The Gitanmaax Band Council is receiving $500,000 for 34 spaces at Gitanmaax Nursery School - 12 infant/toddler spaces and 22 preschool spaces.
Penticton
Co-Located: The Okanagan Similkameen Neurological Society (OSNS) is receiving $224,487 to create 24 spaces - eight infant/toddler spaces and 16 preschool spaces - at the KinderBear Developmental Daycare Centre. These spaces will be located on the same site as other family-serving organizations, including the Penticton Early Childhood Education Society and the OSNS Child and Youth Development Centre, which provides occupational therapy, physiotherapy, speech language therapy and autism supports.
Port Alberni
Co-Located: The Port Alberni Friendship Centre is receiving $491,595 to create 50 new spaces - 8 infant/toddler spaces, 32 spaces for children aged three to five years and 10 school-aged spaces.
Prince George
Targeted: The YMCA of Northern BC is receiving $500,000 to create 81 spaces at École Lac des Bois Elementary school - 12 infant/toddler spaces, 25 spaces for children aged three to five years, 20 preschool spaces and 24 school-aged spaces.
Surrey
Regular: BrightStart Children’s Academy Ltd. is receiving $250,000 to create 100 spaces - 24 infant/toddler spaces, 32 spaces for children aged three to five years, 20 preschool spaces, and 24 school-aged spaces.
Regular: CamRose Early Learning Inc. is receiving $223,595 to create 48 spaces - 24 infant/toddler spaces and 24 spaces for children aged three to five years.
Regular: Central City Jr. Kindergarten Ltd. is receiving $162,897 to create 36 spaces - 12 infant/toddler spaces and 24 spaces for children aged three to five years.
Regular: Elms Academy Ltd. is receiving $92,787 to create 40 spaces for children aged three to five years at Elms School House.
Regular: GCA Education Services is receiving $21,880 to create 28 spaces at Wise Owl Montessori Academy - 12 infant/toddler spaces, eight group preschool spaces and eight school-aged spaces.
Regular: JW Westcoast Properties is receiving $211,500 to create 86 spaces at New Beginnings Early Learning Centre - 36 infant/toddler spaces and 50 spaces for children aged three to five years.
Regular: Kids & Company Corporate Child Care Services is receiving a total of $500,000 for two projects totalling 161 spaces:
- $250,000 to create 101 spaces at its Morgan Crossing location - 60 infant/toddler spaces and 41 spaces for children aged three to five years .
- $250,000 to create 60 spaces at its King George Surrey location - 36 infant/toddler spaces and 24 spaces for children aged three to five years.
Regular: SLC Learning Centres Inc. is receiving $250,000 to create 84 spaces at the Creative Kids Learning Centers - Newton location - 36 infant/toddler spaces and 48 spaces for children aged three to five years.
Regular: Strong Foundations Early Learning is receiving $169,768 to create 93 spaces in the Peninsula Village Mall complex - 40 infant/toddler spaces, 25 spaces for children aged three to five years, 16 preschool spaces and 12 school-aged spaces.
Regular: Wind and Tide Child Development Centre Ltd. is receiving $83,147 to create 18 spaces for children aged three to five years at its Wind and Tide - Relate location.
Terrace
Regular: The Kermode Friendship Society is receiving $499,721 to create 62 spaces at the Kermode Child Care Centre - 12 infant/toddler spaces and 50 spaces for children aged three to five years.
Targeted: The Rock Christian Community is receiving $380,885 to create 56 spaces at Copper Mountain Elementary school - 12 infant/toddler spaces, 24 spaces for children aged three to five years and 20 school-aged spaces.
Tipella
Co-Located: The Southern Stl’at’imx Health Society is receiving $416,163 to create 28 spaces - 10 preschool spaces, 10 school-aged spaces and eight multi-age spaces. These new spaces will be located within the Xa’Xtsa First Nation.
Vancouver
Co-Located: The Association of Neighbourhood Houses of BC (South Vancouver Neighbourhood House) is receiving $149,000 to create 30 spaces - 15 preschool spaces and 15 school-aged spaces. These spaces will be located on the same site as the South Vancouver Neighbourhood House, South Hill Neighbours Society and South Vancouver Family Place.
Targeted: The City of Vancouver is receiving a total of $1 million for two projects totalling 138 spaces:
- $500,000 to create 69 spaces at Fleming Elementary school - 24 infant/toddler spaces, 25 spaces for children aged three to five years and 20 preschool spaces.
- $500,000 to create 69 spaces at Lord Nelson Elementary school - 24 infant/toddler spaces, 25 spaces for children aged three to five years and 20 preschool spaces.
Victoria
Co-Located: The Saanich Neighbourhood Place is receiving $500,000 to create 49 spaces - 24 infant/toddler spaces and 25 spaces for children aged three to five years. These spaces will be located at Tillicum Centre, on the same site as the Saanich Neighbourhood Place, Pearkes Recreation Centre and the Saanich Centennial branch of the Greater Victoria Public Library.
Co-Located: The YMCA-YWCA of Greater Victoria is receiving $131,187 to create 36 spaces - 12 infant/toddler and 24 spaces for children aged three to five years at the Westhills YMCA-YWCA Child Care Centre in Langford. These spaces will be co-located on a site with other supports and services, including the Conservatory of Music and the Westhills branch of the Greater Victoria Public Library.
Williams Lake
Targeted: Contact Women’s Group Society is receiving $500,000 to create 55 spaces at Nesika Elementary school and Lake City Secondary school’s Columneetza campus - 16 spaces for children aged three to five years, 15 school-aged spaces and 24 multi-aged spaces.
Media Contacts:
Government Communications and Public Engagement
Ministry of Children and Family Development
250 356-1553
250 213-5572
