Families at the YMCA Highland 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.

“The YMCA Highland Development Centre is a community hub for many Prince George families, including francophones, providing inclusive child care and services to children with extra support needs,” said Katrina Chen, Minister of State for Child Care.

The YMCA Highland Development Centre is one of more than 50 sites chosen to offer low-cost child care to B.C. parents. Training is provided to help staff understand what they can do to support the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action.

The facility is strategically located in an area where children are recognized to be vulnerable and it was built with the intent of providing one stop for families, to allow children to see their siblings throughout the day and enable parents and children to build meaningful relationships with the staff.

“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 shape the future direction of our Childcare BC plan, and we’re excited to be working alongside 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 YMCA Highland Development Centre to offer 84 low-cost licensed child care spaces to parents in Prince George. In all, parents of approximately 2,500 children will benefit from the pilot project.

This project is funded through a $60-million investment as part of the 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