Families at the Kamloops Child Development Centre are now paying no more than $200 a month per child as part of the B.C. government’s universal child care prototype project.

“Our vision for child care is one that is inclusive and supports families from a variety of backgrounds,” said Katrina Chen, Minister of State for Child Care. “Kamloops Child Development Centre does just that, with its welcoming and supportive programming that teaches kids about other cultures and the world around them from an early age.”

The Kamloops Child Development Centre is one of more than 50 sites chosen to offer low-cost child care to B.C. parents. The centre offers support for families who are new to Canada and cares for many Indigenous children. Staff integrate cultural learning into programming, with Elders regularly visiting for storytelling and traditional drumming. Children are encouraged to explore the natural world, spending about 70% of their days outside, often taking walks along the local river or around nearby McDonald Park.

“We have committed to bring affordable, accessible and quality child care to B.C. parents,” said Katrine Conroy, Minister of Children and Family Development. “These high-quality, low-cost spaces will help to shape the future direction of our Childcare BC plan, and we’re excited to be working with providers to 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 the Kamloops Child Development Centre to offer 117 low-cost, licensed child care spaces to parents in Kamloops. In all, parents of around 2,500 children will benefit from the prototype sites, which are being offered throughout the province.

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 per child a month 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.

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