This backgrounder contains additional information on the six projects that will create a total of 427 new licensed child care spaces in Abbotsford and Langley.

Newleaf Learning and Childcare Centre (Abbotsford)

In December 2020, Newleaf Learning and Childcare Centre will be opening to provide 56 new licensed spaces, including 24 infant/toddler spaces and 32 spaces for children aged three to five years. The centre includes multiculturalism and diversity in the curriculum and will be a resource for parents and families by providing information and opportunities for support.

Kamal Pannu, owner, Newleaf Learning and Childcare Centre (Abbotsford) –

“We believe that each child deserves respect for their unique personality, cultural background and their level of development. Our centre offers a rich and nurturing environment where children feel safe to explore, experiment, enjoy, initiate learning and free to express themselves.”

School at Eagle Mountain (Abbotsford)

Abbotsford School District (SD 34) is building a new school that will include a new child care centre. The centre will offer 88 new licensed spaces, including eight infant/toddler spaces, 20 spaces for children age three to five years, 20 preschool spaces and 40 spaces for children up to the age of 12. The centre, which is expected to open in September 2022, will provide programs and services that are co-developed with Indigenous community partners to help children learn about Indigenous history, cultures and traditions. The centre will also offer programs that actively include parents to help families learn effective communication skills, build positive bonds, and enjoy educational crafts and games together.

Stan Petersen, chair, Abbotsford Board of Education (Abbotsford) –

“We are excited to bring a new child care space to our community. We want all of our children to be successful when they start kindergarten in our Abbotsford schools, and spaces like this will ensure we are laying a strong foundation for lifelong learners.”

Happyland Early Learning (Langley)

Happyland Early Learning is opening in August 2020 to provide 77 new licensed child care spaces to families, including 36 infant/toddler spaces and 41 spaces for children aged three to five years. The centre will be open seven days a week and offer extended hours of care to support parents who work outside of standard office hours.

Ivy Li, owner, Happyland Early Learning (Langley) –

“We are proud of the diversity of our centre and will have multilingual staff to provide programming and support in a variety of languages. We are looking forward to building a strong, vibrant community at our centre by providing affordable, flexible child care and extra supports for children and families, such as a meal to take home with them at the end of each day.”

Kidspace Learning Centres Inc. (Langley)

Kidspace Learning Centres will soon provide local families with eight infant/toddler child care spaces. The facility, which is expected to open in September 2020, will also offer monthly parent nights where parents can learn about cultural diversity, discipline strategies, sleep guidelines, healthy eating and potty training.

Melissa Baxandall, Kidspace Learning Centres Inc. (Langley) –

“We are excited to bring new, much-needed child care spaces to a growing, thriving community. Our centre will focus on encouraging fitness in fun and creative ways and we will be implementing a physical literacy program to help children stay active through yoga, dance, art and music.”

Nurturing Hearts Montessori Daycare-Newlands (Langley)

The existing Nurturing Hearts Montessori Daycare is being expanded to add eight new classrooms. This will allow the centre to offer 129 new licensed child care spaces, including 36 infant/toddler spaces, 57 spaces for children aged three to five years, and 36 spaces for children up to the age of 12. These spaces are expected to be available to families in September 2020 and are in addition to the 90 spaces the centre already provides. The family-focused centre will be offering opportunities for parents to engage in social and educational programming with their children during the day and parent education programs monthly in the evenings.

Colleen Patrick, owner and director, Nurturing Hearts Montessori Daycare-Newlands (Langley) –

"We are thrilled to be adding these new spaces so we can continue on our mission to support families with children in multiple care groups all in one beautifully accessible location. The outcome: providing families more precious time with their children before and after their work days and children connected to one another and their local community for their entire child care experience.”

Tiny Hoppers Early Learning at Langley City Centre (Langley)

Tiny Hoppers Early Learning at Langley City Centre, which is expected to open in August 2020, will have five classrooms and two outdoor spaces. A total of 69 licensed child care spaces will be available, including 28 infant/toddler spaces and 41 spaces for children aged three to five years. The curriculum at the centre will include French language classes and vocabulary activities for children whose second language is English. An on-site cook will provide children with breakfast, lunch and snacks. Parent involvement nights will provide learning opportunities for new parents while their children develop social, emotional and fine- and gross-motor skills.

Cindy Robertson, director of Tiny Hoppers Early Learning at Langley City Centre (Langley) –

“We want to ensure that every child’s experience at Tiny Hoppers is truly magical. Through music, movement and hands-on play, Tiny Hoppers has developed a program to aid in the social, emotional, physical and cognitive development of young children. All of the educational activities are carefully planned to provide children with an exciting, hands-on learning experience that touches on all areas of learning including math, science, literacy, technology and the arts.”

• Since launching in February 2018, the Childcare BC plan has helped parents save up to $1,600 a month, per child, for a total of nearly $510 million through the Affordable Child Care Benefit and Child Care Fee Reduction Initiative. As a result of these investments:
  • over 32,000 children have received child care for no more than $10 a day, including almost 2,300 in Abbotsford and Langley;
  • parents in Abbotsford and Langley have saved more than $33 million.
• The City of Abbotsford and the City of Langley each received a planning grant from the Community Child Care Planning Program to help identify their specific child care space needs.
• In January 2020, the Province launched a new professional development program, which is giving early childhood educators access to more than 30 teaching specialists at community hubs around B.C., helping them to stay up to date on the latest child care teaching trends and techniques.
• The Province has made significant investments to improve supports to B.C.’s early care and learning professionals, including nearly $16 million to provide more than 6,000 bursaries for students pursuing a career in child care.
• To date, the Province has invested more than $27 million to provide more than 12,000 early childhood educators with a $1-per-hour wage enhancement, which increased to $2 an hour in April 2020. This includes $1.9 million for early childhood educators in Abbotsford and Langley.