Families in Surrey will soon have access to nearly 300 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. 

“Finding affordable child care is one of the largest obstacles in a growing city like Surrey,” said Mike Starchuk, MLA for Surrey-Cloverdale. “With these new spaces, we are bringing the affordable and quality child care needed for a young community such as ours.”

The Childcare BC New Spaces Fund is supporting five projects that will create 284 new licensed child care spaces Surrey. 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.

“Kwantlen First Nation is pleased to be working with Sandbox Early Learning to design the new child care centre in a way that reflects the history of the Aboriginal, First Nations and Métis communities and enhances the early learning experience for children from all walks of life,” said Cheryl Gabriel, education co-ordinator, Kwantlen First Nation. “We are proud to work with Sandbox Early Learning Centre to create a warm and inviting space for Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal children alike – our future leaders.”

New, licensed spaces are on the way for families at the following child care centres: 

• Junior Einstein’s Academy (30 spaces)
• Khalsa Childcare Centre (26 spaces)
• Kings & Queens Childcare Centre (36 spaces)
• Playbox Learning Centre (44 spaces)
• Sandbox Early Learning (148 spaces)

“Surrey is a fast-growing community, and it’s important that parents can access the care they need close to home,” said Jason Bains, executive director, Sandbox Early Learning. “Our new centre will give parents in the Cedar Hills neighbourhood more child care options. I’m also very proud of our work with the Kwantlen First Nation to build an inclusive and culturally safe space for children.”

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.

“These new child care spaces for families in Surrey 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.”

Quick Facts:

• Since July 2018, more than 20,000 new licensed child care spaces have been funded in British Columbia, including 1,941 new licenced spaces in Surrey.
• 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 the Child Care Fee Reduction Initiative. 
• As a result of these investments, parents in Surrey have saved more than $92 million.
• Early childhood educators in Surrey have received $5.4 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.