Families at Alderwood House school are now paying no more than $200 a month per child as part of the B.C. government’s universal child care prototype site program.

“Alderwood House school’s early learning programming is helping children explore the natural environment around them, while building important social and life skills,” said Katrina Chen, Minister of State for Child Care. “Children are exposed to the concept of the emotional wheel where feelings are expressed, discussed and supported, and they are encouraged to work independently and collectively with their peers to solve problems.”

Alderwood House school is one of more than 50 sites chosen to offer low-cost child care to B.C. parents. The school focuses on social-emotional learning in a primarily outdoor setting where children explore beaches to learn about sea life and build tents for outdoor naps. All children are welcome here with a comprehensive inclusion policy and cultural programming where Indigenous stories and art are explored.

“We want to make life more affordable for families, and this investment will demonstrate the low-cost, high-quality care B.C. parents can look forward to as we fully implement Childcare BC,” said Katrine Conroy, Minister of Children and Family Development. “We’re excited to be working alongside providers to take the first steps toward a universal child care system.”

The Childcare BC Universal Prototype Sites will model what high-quality, affordable, universal child care may look like for B.C. families. This funding will allow Alderwood House school to offer 35 low-cost licensed child care spaces to parents in Richmond. In all, parents of around 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