A new community centre in New Westminster offers 37 licensed child care spaces at the new Sea Otter YMCA Club.

“We know the real impact quality child care has on kids’ early learning and development and now more parents and families will have access to affordable and quality child care,” said Mitzi Dean, Minister of State for Child Care. “This child care centre is centrally located in a beautiful new recreation centre that will bring the community together for years to come.”

The city received more than $3 million in provincial funding through the ChildCareBC New Spaces Fund to build the centre with spaces for infants, toddlers and children between three and five years. The program follows the YMCA’s Playing to Learn curriculum, which provides children with the opportunity to learn, grow and thrive, while enjoying a safe and welcoming environment.

“More and more families are choosing to make New Westminster their home, resulting in an increased demand for child care,” said Jennifer Whiteside, MLA for New Westminster. “Access to quality child care supports the well-being of children, families and communities. These new spaces will provide child care for local families that is accessible and in a convenient location.”

The new child care centre is centrally located in the new təməsew̓txʷ Aquatic and Community Centre, təməsew̓txʷ being the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ word for “sea otter house”. The Sea Otter YMCA Club is named accordingly.

“Sea Otter YMCA Child Care is the second New Westminster-based child care centre operated by YMCA BC, and we are proud to continue our work with the Province of B.C. and City of New Westminster to bring this much-needed service to more parents,” said Heidi Worthington, president and CEO, YMCA BC. “I know our professional child care educators are excited to welcome these families to the YMCA and provide their children with quality learning experiences.”

Since 2018, ChildCareBC accelerated space creation programs have helped fund the creation of more than 37,000 new licensed child care spaces in B.C., with more 350 of these in New Westminster. Funding the creation of new child care spaces is part of the Province’s goal to build access to affordable, quality, inclusive child care as a core service families can rely upon.

Learn More: 
 
For information about the ChildCareBC New Spaces Fund, visit: https://gov.bc.ca/childcare/newspacesfund 

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