Families in Fruitvale are benefiting from a new child care centre with 37 new spaces, allowing parents to pursue work, school and other opportunities.

“The Province is focused on providing Fruitvale families with access to affordable, quality, inclusive child care,” said Katrine Conroy, MLA for Kootenay West. “Improving access to child care spaces gives kids the best possible start and supports parents to plan a brighter future for their families.”

This new child care centre was made possible through more than $1.3 million from the ChildCareBC New Spaces Fund. The ChildCareBC New Spaces Fund is jointly supported by provincial investments and federal funding under the 2021-2022 to 2025-2026 Canada-British Columbia Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement. Funding was used to construct the building, provide landscaping, purchase items such as appliances and playground equipment, and more.

“Opening 37 new child care spaces means more opportunities for children in Fruitvale to learn, grow, and thrive,” said Jenna Sudds, federal Minister of Children, Families and Social Development. “Our government is committed to continue investing in early childhood education because it means we are investing in the future of Canada. Making sure that we are continuously reducing wait lists and ensuring every child has the best possible start in life. These spaces don’t just represent a child in affordable care, they represent the promise of brighter tomorrows for families across our communities.”

The Village of Fruitvale is partnering with Beaver Valley Nursery School Society to provide the child care services.

“The Village of Fruitvale and area are very grateful for the invaluable support we received to build our urgently needed daycare facility, with a grant from the ChildCareBC New Spaces Fund,” said Steve Morissette, mayor of Fruitvale. “This new facility will support many local families, aiding them in in their careers. It stands as a significant enhancement to our greater community.”

Since 2018, ChildCareBC accelerated space creation programs have helped fund the creation of more than 34,000 new licensed child care spaces in B.C. More than 340 of these are in Fruitvale and surrounding areas.

“As a parent of young children, we feel extremely fortunate to have our child attending the new daycare centre in Fruitvale,” said Allyson Tremblay, a parent. “Finding daycare in the area has been a huge challenge as we all know there is a shortage of quality daycare providers across B.C. This wouldn’t be possible without the hard work of the Beaver Valley Nursery School, the Village of Fruitvale, the Province of B.C. and the federal government.”

Funding the creation of new child care spaces is part of the Province’s ChildCareBC plan to build access to affordable, quality, inclusive child care as a core service families can rely on.

The Province and the Government of Canada invested more than $260 million last year to fund the creation of new licensed child care spaces in high-need areas throughout B.C.

Learn More

For more information about ChildCareBC, visit: www.gov.bc.ca/childcare

More information about the ChildCareBC New Spaces Fund is available here: www.gov.bc.ca/childcare/newspacesfund