Families at Play School Platoon in Grand Forks are now paying no more than $200 a month per child as part of the B.C. government’s universal child care prototype project.

“Play School Platoon gives kids the opportunity to grow a garden, experiment with paints, create shadow art and much more as they explore and discover the world around them,” said Katrina Chen, Minister of State for Child Care. “This hands-on learning environment allows children to follow their curiosity and helps build their self-confidence and self-awareness from a young age.”

Play School Platoon is one of more than 50 sites chosen to offer low-cost child care to B.C. parents. The centre’s programming is derived from the Reggio Emilia approach, which encourages children to learn through exploration and discovery. The centre regularly hosts guests to teach the children about other cultures and also offers inclusive care, with a part-time support worker available for children with extra support needs.

“We have a long-term goal to introduce universal child care in B.C. so that every family who needs it has access to quality early learning programs,” said Katrine Conroy, Minister of Children and Family Development. “We’re excited to be working with providers to take the first steps toward a system that will make life better for B.C. families.” 

The prototype sites will model what high-quality, affordable, universal child care may look like for B.C. families. This funding will allow Play School Platoon to offer eight low-cost licensed child care spaces to parents in Grand Forks. In all, parents of around 2,500 children will benefit from this prototype project throughout B.C.

This project is funded through a $60-million investment as part of the Province’s Early Learning and Child Care Agreement with the Government of Canada. It complements the Province’s $1-billion, three-year investment through Childcare BC to move toward its long-term vision of affordable, accessible and quality child care for any family that needs it.

Parents who are not accessing these low-cost spaces may still be eligible for support through the Affordable Child Care Benefit, which provides up to $1,250 a month per child for families with an annual income of $111,000 or less. Families using licensed child care may also see savings through the Child Care Fee Reduction, which has so far helped to reduce the cost of almost 52,000 child care spaces around the province.

Conroy will be in Grand Forks to visit Play School Platoon from 3-4 p.m. on Nov. 13, 2018.

Learn More:

For more about Childcare BC, visit: www.gov.bc.ca/childcare

For more information about universal child care prototype sites, visit: www.gov.bc.ca/childcare/prototypesites

To learn more about the Affordable Child Care Benefit, and to apply, visit: www.gov.bc.ca/affordablechildcarebenefit

For more information about the Child Care Fee Reduction Initiative and approved providers, visit: www.gov.bc.ca/childcare/optin