More parents in Langley and Maple Ridge will be able to pursue their work or education goals, thanks to 209 child care spaces opening in the coming months.

“With 209 additional child care spaces to be open and running by the end of this year, more families in Langley and Maple Ridge will benefit from reliable child care in the community,” said Megan Dykeman, MLA for Langley East. “I'm so glad to see more spaces opening up across the province, including the Fraser Valley, as part of our government’s historic child care investment.”

The new spaces were funded through the Province’s Child Care Rapid Renovation Fund, which provided approximately $11 million to non-profit groups, schools and other public-sector organizations to quickly create new child care spaces.

“The past 20 months have made it very clear that child care is more important than ever,” said Katrina Chen, Minister of State for Child Care. “On top of the uncertainty of the pandemic, parents had to juggle the stress of working from home while also caring for their kids or needing to make new child care arrangements. Our Child Care Rapid Renovation Fund is one way we’re quickly addressing the need for more affordable, quality child care spaces, while also funding long-term child care projects that will benefit families and communities for generations to come.”

The Province funded 209 new licensed child care spaces for families in Langley and Maple Ridge:

• Donna Gabriel Robins Elementary in Langley with 99 spaces operated by the YMCA anticipated to open by the end of the year.
• Under the Tree Family Education and Support Childcare Centre Inc. in Maple Ridge anticipates opening 110 spaces by December 2021.

“The Langley Board of Education is committed to working with the Province to create affordable child care spaces in one of the fast-growing neighbourhoods in Langley,” says Rod Ross, chair, Langley Board of Education. “These new spaces will help meet the needs of local families to support the social and emotional development of early learners and school-aged children, now and in the future.”

The Child Care Rapid Renovation Fund supported the creation of 912 new licensed child care spaces in 20 communities throughout B.C.

“Our government is committed to supporting lifelong learning and healthy families through child care programs and in schools throughout B.C.,” said Jennifer Whiteside, Minister of Education. “The Child Care Rapid Renovation Fund gives parents more child care options within their communities, and builds on our ongoing work to ensure new child care spaces are available, accessible and affordable for all B.C. families.”

The Province is committed to bringing affordable, quality, inclusive child care to families throughout B.C. Since 2018, tens of thousands of families have benefited from better access to more affordable child care, with some parents saving as much as $1,600 a month.

Quick Facts:

• Since 2018, more than 26,000 new licensed child care spaces have been funded for families in B.C.  
• The Childcare BC plan has helped parents save up to $1,600 a month, per child, for a total of more than $750 million through the Affordable Child Care Benefit and Child Care Fee Reduction Initiative.
• As a result of these investments, parents in the Fraser region have saved more than $153 million.
• To date, early childhood educators in the Fraser region have received more than $17 million in wage enhancements.

Learn More:

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

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