A few hundred Kelowna families can now have their kids in child care conveniently located on school grounds, with more child care spaces opening in the coming months.

“Child care on school grounds makes life easier for busy parents and gives them peace of mind knowing their kids are in one place for the entire day, with one dropoff and pickup location,” said Grace Lore, Minister of State for Child Care. “By working with school districts like Central Okanagan Public Schools, we're building a future where affordable, quality and inclusive child care is a core service families can depend on where and when they want it.”

Central Okanagan school district received approximately $29 million through the ChildCareBC New Spaces Fund to build new child care facilities on school grounds. Nearly 600 new child care spaces located at seven schools throughout Kelowna, West Kelowna and Lake Country have been funded, with approximately 250 open and 350 opening this winter and next spring.

“We are glad to work with the ministry and our community partners to open new child care spaces,” said Lee-Ann Tiede, chair, School District 23 Board of Education. “Having child care connected to schools can provide easier transitions for preschoolers into our schools and offers much-needed support to working parents during those early years with children zero to 10 years old.”

To help fast track the creation of child care spaces on school grounds, the Province developed a funding stream specifically for B.C. school boards, First Nations schools, as well as independent schools interested in creating or expanding access to licensed child care at school.  Applications are still being accepted for the 2023-24 ChildCareBC New Spaces Fund.

Since 2018, more than 33,000 new licensed child care spaces have been funded in B.C. through the ChildCareBC New Spaces Fund, with more than 1,700 of these spaces located in Kelowna area.

Learn More:

For information about ChildCareBC New Spaces Fund and school-age spaces, visit: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/family-social-supports/caring-for-young-children/space-creation-funding/childcare-new-spaces-fund   

To know more about ChildCareBC, visit: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/family-social-supports/caring-for-young-children

Two backgrounders follow.