More parents in Delta and Richmond will have the option to return to work, go back to school or pursue other opportunities as the Province invests in nearly 50 new licensed child care spaces, 27 of which are expected to be open this summer.

“As a father, I know how essential child care is for so many families,” said Aman Singh, MLA for Richmond-Queensborough. “Parents should be able to return to work knowing their kids are growing and learning in a safe environment. These new spaces will serve that purpose for Richmond families for years to come.”

The Province is supporting two projects to create 48 new licensed child care spaces in Delta and Richmond: 

• Delta (21)
• Richmond (27)

“Quality, accessible, neighbourhood child care provides children with the opportunity to connect with others, learn and develop foundational life skills,” said Sandra Nixon, chair, Richmond Board of Education. “Child care is a critical service for many families in Richmond, and these new spaces will make a real difference in supporting our community.”

In addition to these two new projects, 20 other projects have received funding in Delta and Richmond since the launch of Childcare BC in July 2018. This includes Little Wings Daycare in Richmond, which opened 10 new licensed child care spaces in January 2020.

“Without the New Spaces funding, Little Wings Daycare would have faced closure after we received notice that our land lease for the past three decades would not be renewed. The funding allowed us to not only relocate but to expand our ages 3-5 program with much-needed child care spots,” said Lisa Dunkley, director of operations, Little Wings Day Care Centre Society. “We are grateful that our government recognizes and supports the creation of new child care spots. I have been in the child care field for over 30 years and this is the first time that I have seen the government truly support the need for child care by British Columbia families.”

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.

“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 toward an inclusive universal child care system, these new spaces will make it easier for parents, especially mothers, to pursue their own goals, while being part of B.C.’s economic recovery.”

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 313 in Delta and 1,230 in Richmond.
• The Childcare BC plan has helped parents save up to $1,600 a month, per child, for a total of over $770 million through the Affordable Child Care Benefit and Child Care Fee Reduction Initiative.
• As a result of these investments, parents in Delta have saved over $12 million and parents in Richmond have saved more than $40 million.
• Early childhood educators in Delta and in Richmond have received almost $1 million and more than $3.75 million in wage enhancements, respectively.

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.