Families at Snc’c’amala?tn Early Childhood Education Centre are now paying no more than $200 a month per child as part of a B.C. government universal child care prototype project.

“Connecting children and families to Indigenous culture is important in creating healthy, vibrant communities,” said Katrina Chen, Minister of State for Child Care. “Snc’c’amala?tn Early Childhood Education Centre is making sure children in Vernon remain connected to and explore the cultures around them, while providing inclusive care to children with extra support needs.”

Snc’c’amala?tn Early Childhood Education Centre is one of more than 50 sites chosen to offer quality, low-cost child care to B.C. parents. The centre is supported by Syilx (Okanagan) Nation and offers opportunities for children to take part in daily cultural activities such as beading, drumming, dancing and language-learning. The centre also offers care to children with extra support needs, including early intervention services through a qualified Aboriginal speech therapy assistant.

“We committed to introduce affordable, accessible and quality child care for every parent and community who wants it,” said Katrine Conroy, Minister of Children and Family Development. ”These spaces are the first step to making that vision a reality, and we’re excited to be working with providers around the province to make life better for B.C. families.”

The Childcare BC Universal Prototype Sites will model what high-quality, affordable, universal child care may look like for B.C. families. In all, parents of approximately 2,500 children will benefit from the prototype 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