An opportunity to go to work full time and save for the future, or a chance to further an education and fulfil a dream — these are just two of the many possibilities that a new child care centre in Abbotsford will provide.

These possibilities could soon become realities for local parents once Contemporary Kids Learning Centre opens 31 new licensed child care spaces, which are being partly funded through a $119,447 investment under the Province’s Childcare BC New Spaces Fund.

“Contemporary Kids Learning Centre will give families access to quality, licensed child care for their kids and will open up more opportunities for parents to go back to work or school,” said Katrina Chen, Minister of State for Child Care. “As part of a downtown revitalization, what better way to help support a growing city than by providing high-quality care for the children of that community?”

The centre is renovating a commercial space in downtown Abbotsford to provide 12 infant and toddler spaces and 19 spaces for children aged 30 months to school age. Construction on the new child care spaces is scheduled to be completed in April 2019.

“I am so excited to create a child care facility that is complementary to the Fraser Valley’s modern and diverse group of families. A healthy early learning environment is the catalyst to a positive learning experience, one that inspires a lifelong love of learning — a goal that we strive to achieve,” said Shavaun Pellatt, owner of Contemporary Kids Learning Centre. “We are very grateful to the Childcare BC New Spaces Fund for supporting the development of this new child care learning centre.”

Programming at the centre will be guided by Indigenous teaching and will support children in forming a strong connection to nature, learning about mindfulness and building an awareness of cultural traditions. Children will also have the opportunity to explore their community, with the centre offering trips to local senior homes, libraries, theatre and musical performances.

“Parents have been struggling to find quality, affordable child care, and our government knows that investing in child care spaces is good for families and for our economy,” said Katrine Conroy, Minister of Children and Family Development. “The New Spaces Fund is the latest step in making child care more available and affordable for more families.”

Under the Childcare BC New Spaces Fund, child care providers can apply at any time throughout the year under a new continuous application process. Since launching the program in July 2018, more than 1,600 new licensed child care spaces have been approved for funding. In addition, more than 500 licensed spaces have been created to date through the Childcare BC Start-Up Grant program. More new spaces will be announced for communities throughout B.C. as projects are approved.

The $221-million fund supports the creation of approximately 22,000 new licensed child care spaces over the next three years. This initiative is part of the B.C. government’s Childcare BC plan and supports its commitment to give B.C. families access to affordable, quality child care throughout the province.

Learn More:

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

To learn more about the Childcare BC New Spaces Fund and to apply, visit: www.gov.bc.ca/childcare/newspacesfund

To find child care in a nearby community, view the online child care map: http://maps.gov.bc.ca/ess/hm/ccf/

Child care factsheet: https://news.gov.bc.ca/18430

Parents who need information about choosing child care, or want a list of registered and licensed child care centres in their area, can get help through their local child care resource and referral centre or by visiting: www.ccrr.bc.ca/

For more information about Contemporary Kids Learning Centre, visit: http://contemporarykids.ca/