Children and Family Development
Families in the Fraser Valley will have access to almost 400 new licensed child care spaces as part of the Province’s ongoing commitment to increasing access to child care through the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.
“These new child-care spaces will be a wonderful resource for families as the Fraser Valley’s population continues to grow,” said Dan Coulter, MLA for Chilliwack. “We know that having accessible and available child care is a top priority for British Columbians, and that’s why it’s important that we’re seeing new spaces open up in communities across the province.”
The Childcare BC New Spaces Fund is supporting six projects that will create a total of 380 new licensed child care spaces in Abbotsford, Chilliwack, Mission and Maple Ridge. These spaces are part of the fastest creation of child care spaces in B.C.’s history and were part of the September 2020 milestone that marked more than 20,000 new spaces funded throughout the province in just over two years.
“These new child care spaces for families in the Fraser Valley are bringing us one step closer to delivering the quality, affordable and inclusive child care that all B.C. families deserve,” said Katrina Chen, Minister of State for Child Care. “Child care for families is key to B.C.’s economic recovery, and these new spaces will make it easier for parents, especially mothers who have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic, to return to work or school.”
Families will be able to access new child care spaces in the following communities:
- Abbotsford – 143 spaces
- Chilliwack – 138 spaces
- Mission – 42 spaces
- Maple Ridge – 57 spaces
“The district is very pleased to collaborate with the Province and Mission Association for Community Living in providing much needed preschool and after-school child care spaces in our community,” said Danny Plecas, acting mayor, District of Mission. “Time and time again, we hear the lack of spaces is a limiting factor in allowing parents to return to meaningful employment. This funding will be of great benefit to many families in Mission.”
An additional 4,110 spaces, funded through the 2017 Budget Update and the Early Learning and Child Care agreement with the Government of Canada, takes the total number of new, licensed spaces funded in B.C. to more than 24,500 since July 2017.
Quick Facts:
- Since July 2018, more than 20,000 new licensed child care spaces have been funded in British Columbia, including 666 in Abbotsford, 422 in Chilliwack, 215 in Maple Ridge and 71 in Mission.
- Throughout the province, the Childcare BC plan has helped parents save up to $1,600 a month per child through the Affordable Child Care Benefit and Child Care Fee Reduction Initiative.
- As a result of these investments, parents in Abbotsford, Chilliwack, Maple Ridge and Mission have saved nearly $60 million on child care.
- Early childhood educators in these communities have received over $3.2 million in wage enhancements.
- Through B.C.’s combined affordability initiatives, more than 36,000 children have received child care for $10/day or less since the beginning of the Childcare BC plan.
Learn More:
For information on health and safety standards for child care during COVID-19, visit: www.gov.bc.ca/ChildCareCovid-19Response
Child care factsheet: https://news.gov.bc.ca/18430
To learn more about the Childcare BC New Spaces Fund, visit: www.gov.bc.ca/childcare/newspacesfund
For more about Childcare BC, visit: www.gov.bc.ca/childcare
A backgrounder follows.
