BC Gov News

This backgrounder contains additional information on the four projects that will create a total of 211 new licensed child care spaces in Coquitlam and Port Coquitlam.

Westwood Montessori (Partington)

Westwood Montessori (Partington) will create 106 new licensed child care spaces – 16 for infants and toddlers, 50 for children aged three years to kindergarten, 10 pre-school spaces and 30 spaces for school-age children. It opens in September 2020. The school offers two scholarship spaces for single parents and vulnerable families. Programing includes weekly music and movement classes, French and Mandarin, and a First Nations curriculum.

Leah Stelnicki, manager, Westwood Montessori (Partington) –

“We are so thankful for this funding, which will help us look after the children in our community. We are so excited to offer a high-quality child care environment in Coquitlam, where parents can trust that their children will be supported in learning, growing and developing skills at their own pace.”

Kidscool Early Learning Centre

Kidscool is creating 40 new licensed child care spaces, including 24 for infants/toddlers and 16 for children aged three years to kindergarten, set to open in August 2020. Every six months, a public health nurse and a dental practitioner will visit the facility to provide free check-ups, information and referrals for children. The facility will offer yoga and music classes and provide some programming in Halq'emeylem. In addition, the facility will offer a practicum placement opportunity for early childhood education students at Vancouver Career College and CDI College.

Reyhaneh Narimani, director, Kidscool Early Learning Centre –

“As a mother of two children and an educator, I know how much of a struggle it can be to find child care. I am so proud to be able to expand my multi-age child care facility to provide high quality and affordable childcare for families in our community.”

Mindful Kids Childcare

Mindful Kids Childcare is an in-home child care facility expected to open five multi-age child care spaces in fall 2020. It will be a play-based facility, offering a safe environment that helps children successfully grow developmentally, socially, emotionally, cognitively and physically by being mindful. The provider will work closely with the local child development centre to support and assess children’s developmental needs.

Steffani Mildenberger, owner, Mindful Kids Childcare –

“I am beyond grateful for this grant and look forward to creating a safe and kind environment that fosters creativity, and where families can feel confident that their child’s needs will always come first.”

Irvine Elementary School, The Learning Experience Children’s Centre

The Province is partnering with School District 43 (Coquitlam) as part of the rebuild of École Irvine Elementary school, which will include an expanded child care program. The new facility will include a total of 60 new licensed spaces – 10 for children aged three years to kindergarten, 10 pre-school spaces and 40 spaces for school-age children. The proposed facility is expected to open in fall 2021 and will open at 6:30 a.m., to meet the flexible child care needs of working parents.

Patricia Gartland, superintendent of schools/CEO, School District No. 43 (Coquitlam) –

“The school district is pleased to be able to provide this expanded child care space within the replacement École Irvine Elementary. Local families rely on daycare services, and quality facilities benefit the whole community.”

Kerri Palmer Isaak, chair, School District No. 43 (Coquitlam) Board of Education –

“The board of education is a strong advocate for increasing access to daycare spaces and we are proud to be able to support the expansion of the space available at Irvine to better serve families.”

Louise Montgomery, owner, The Learning Experience Children’s Centre –

“We are excited to continue our partnership with the school district and Irvine Elementary to provide daycare services and look forward to the new school opening.”

• 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 1,167 in Coquitlam and Port Coquitlam;
  • parents in Coquitlam and Port Coquitlam have saved more than $27.85 million.
• In November 2018, three child care providers in Coquitlam were selected to deliver low-cost child care as a Childcare BC Universal Prototype Site. The centres provide 89 child care spaces: 34 infant/toddler, 25 for children aged three to five years and 30 spaces for school-age children: www.gov.bc.ca/childcareprototypesites]
• Coquitlam and Port Coquitlam both received a $25,000 grant from the Community Child Care Planning program, administered by the Union of B.C. Municipalities, to identify their specific child care space needs: www.ubcm.ca/EN/main/funding/lgps/child-care.html
• 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 approximately $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 more than $1.8 million for early childhood educators in Coquitlam and Port Coquitlam.