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Ministry of Children and Family Development

Government Communications and Public Engagement
250 356-2028

Backgrounders

Cowichan Valley delivers range of options for B.C. families

This backgrounder contains additional information on the three projects that will create new licensed child care spaces in Duncan and Chemainus.

The Cowichan Valley School District will work with local non-profit organzations to deliver these child care centres on school grounds.

Chemainus Elementary

The school district will work with a non-profit organization to create 32 spaces at Chemainus Elementary school in Chemainus – 12 spaces for infants and toddlers and 20 spaces for children aged 30 months to school age. This project is receiving $949,300 in government funding.

Cowichan Valley Open Learning Co-operative school

The school district is partnering with Growing Together Child and Parent Society to create 40 spaces at the Cowichan Valley Open Learning Co-operative school in Duncan. The centre will have 24 spaces for infants and toddlers and 16 spaces for children aged 30 months to school age. This project is receiving $997,700.

The centre will offer a young parent program to provide parents under the age of 24 with child care and additional supports, such as parenting workshops, laundry service and homemade meals for children while parents complete their high school education. Children will learn sign language and French, with a local Elder visiting the centre to teach children about Indigenous culture and the Hul’qumi’num language. There will also be a health nurse available to provide dental checkups for children and young parents through a partnership with Healthiest Babies Ts-ewulhtun Health.

Khowhemun Elementary

The school district will work with a non-profit organization to create 89 spaces at Khowhemun Elementary school in Duncan. The centre will have spaces for 25 children aged 30 months to school age, 10 preschool spaces and 54 school-age spaces. This project is receiving $997,700.

As approximately 85% of students are from local First Nations, the school district will work with Cowichan Tribes to develop the centre. The building will resemble a long house, with a large kitchen and open area that will be used as a community space. A local Elder will visit the centre to teach children about Indigenous culture and the Hul’qumi’num language. There will also be a health nurse available to provide dental checkups for children and young parents through a partnership with Healthiest Babies Ts-ewulhtun Health.

Total funding: $2,944,700 for 161 spaces