More families in Kimberley will have access to affordable, quality child care with 148 new child care spaces opening soon at Marysville Elementary school.

“This new child care centre in Kimberley will benefit hard-working families and the whole community for years to come,” said Rohini Arora, B.C.’s parliamentary secretary for child care. “It is a great example of how we are working with community partners to build new child care centres where people need them most throughout B.C.”

Construction of a new child care centre on school grounds was made possible by more than $8.8 million from the ChildCareBC New Spaces Fund. This fund is jointly supported by provincial investments and federal funding under the 2021-22 to 2025-26 Canada-British Columbia Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement.

“Everyone deserves access to affordable child care close to home. These new spots in Kimberley support our children’s well-being and help meet parents’ needs,” said Jenna Sudds, federal Minister of Families, Children and Social Development. “It's a significant investment in our children’s future and the strength of our communities.”

School districts throughout B.C. are partnering with the provincial government to create new child care spaces to help address the child care needs of families within their communities. Child care on school grounds makes life easier for families by requiring only one dropoff and pickup location, streamlining their daily routines, reducing stress and creating a smoother transition for children.

“This project certainly represents an example of what can be accomplished through exemplary community collaboration,” said Aaron Callaghan, superintendent, Rocky Mountain School District. “Our heartfelt thanks go out to everyone involved in this undertaking, including the City of Kimberley and Columbia Basin Trust. We are especially grateful to our partner, Summit Community Services Society, whose expertise and dedication will now bring this facility to life, providing essential child care services for families in Kimberley.”

Since 2018, ChildCareBC’s accelerated space creation programs have helped fund the creation of more than 40,000 new licensed child care spaces in B.C., with more than 23,000 of these operational. 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.

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Johnny Strilaeff, president and CEO, Columbia Basin Trust –

“This new facility represents an incredible achievement for Marysville and the surrounding community, providing local families with greater access to high-quality child care. We are proud to have partnered with Rocky Mountain School District, Summit Community Services Society, the City of Kimberley and the Province to make this project a reality. Supporting projects like this not only helps families thrive, but also strengthens the foundation of our communities across the basin.”

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

For more information about the Canada-British Columbia Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement, visit:
https://www.canada.ca/en/early-learning-child-care-agreement/agreements-provinces-territories/british-columbia-canada-wide-2021.html