More parents on the Sunshine Coast will be able to return to work, go back to school or pursue other opportunities as the Province invests in more than 80 new licensed child care spaces.

“Families up and down the Sunshine Coast will benefit from new, safe and more affordable child care spaces,” said Nicholas Simons MLA for Powell River-Sunshine Coast. “A big thank you to school districts 46 and 47 for their work on this. Eighty-four new spaces for our region is significant, and I look forward to all the benefits these will bring to children and families.”

The Province is supporting three projects to create 84 new licensed child care spaces on the Sunshine Coast. Three other projects have also received funding on the Sunshine Coast since the launch of Childcare BC. 

“As we enter the fourth year of our 10-year Childcare BC plan, thousands of families are already feeling the life-changing impact of having affordable, quality and inclusive child care,” said Katrina Chen, Minister of State for Child Care. “As we continue to build towards an inclusive, universal child care system, these new spaces will make it easier for parents, especially mothers, to pursue their own goals, while also being part of B.C.’s economic recovery.”

New child care spaces are on the way for families in the following communities: 

• Powell River (56 spaces)
• Sechelt (28 spaces)

“The YMCA of Greater Vancouver is grateful to work alongside the Province of B.C. and School District No. 46 – Sunshine Coast, to deliver quality child care to even more families in this community,” said Cathy Poole, vice-president, children and youth services, YMCA of Greater Vancouver. “The YMCA has proudly been a fixture in this community for many years. Our dedicated early childhood educators are looking forward to providing each child at West Sechelt YMCA Child Care with the opportunity to connect with others, learn and develop the skills needed to become confident kids today and contributing, engaged adults in the future."

The Province has funded almost 26,000 new licensed spaces since the launch of Childcare BC – more than 6,000 of which are now open.

An additional 4,370 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 child care spaces funded since July 2017 to more than 29,300.

Quick Facts:

• Since July 2018, almost 26,000 new licensed child care spaces have been funded in British Columbia, including 231 in Powell River and 119 in Sechelt.
• The Childcare BC plan has helped parents save up to $1,600 a month, per child, for a total of more than $770 million through the Affordable Child Care Benefit and Child Care Fee Reduction Initiative.
• As a result of these investments, parents in the Powell River- Sunshine Coast area have saved more than $5 million. 
• Early childhood educators in these communities have received more than $240,000 in wage enhancements.

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

For more about Childcare BC, visit: www.gov.bc.ca/childcare

A backgrounder follows.