More families in Fernie will have access to affordable, high-quality child care through 37 new licensed child care spaces at Fernie Elementary school.

“By working together with the Southeast Kootenay school district and our federal partners, we are creating more child care spaces in Fernie to meet the needs of families,” said Rohini Arora, parliamentary secretary for child care. “With these new spaces, more children will have a safe, nurturing place to play and learn, while empowering their parents to focus on their own professional and personal development goals. We know that every dollar we invest in child care expansion strengthens our economy and builds a more resilient, prosperous future for all British Columbians.”

Construction of a new child care centre was made possible through nearly $8 million from the ChildCareBC New Spaces Fund. This fund is jointly supported by provincial investments and federal funding under the Canada-British Columbia Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement. British Columbia and the federal government signed an extension to the agreement for 2026-27 until 2030-31.

“Child care spaces like those coming to Fernie Elementary school help families thrive,” said Anna Gainey, federal Secretary of State for Children and Youth. “These centres strengthen communities, give kids the best start and ease pressure on parents.”

The child care centre will include 12 spaces for infant-toddlers and 25 spaces for children three to five years.

“The board of education of School District No. 5 (Southeast Kootenay) is deeply grateful for the funding for the new child care facility at the new Fernie Elementary school,” said Doug McPhee, chairperson, board of education, School District No. 5 (Southeast Kootenay). “From the early design phase, we envisioned a space for child care. That vision is now a reality, and we are excited to move forward with building a school that meets our community’s growing needs.”

When the facilities open, families will benefit from affordable child care fees through ChildCareBC’s fee-reduction program, which reduces the cost of child care by as much as $900 per child per month.

Since 2018, ChildCareBC’s space-creation programs have helped fund the creation of more than 42,200 new licensed child care spaces in B.C., with more than 27,700 of these spaces open. Funding new child care spaces is part of the Province’s ChildCareBC plan to build access to affordable, quality and inclusive child care for families.

Quick Facts:

• ChildCareBC affordability programs are saving families throughout B.C. an average of $6,700 per year on child care fees at more than 170,700 spaces for children 12 and under.
• Since 2018, ChildCareBC has kept more than $3 billion in the pockets of B.C. families.
• No matter the child care option parents choose, the Canada Child Benefit (CCB) provides direct, tax-free support, helping about 3.5 million families every year, including more than 450,000 families in B.C.
  • While families can use the benefit however they need, for many it significantly reduces the burden of child care expenses, cutting them entirely in some cases, thanks to federal, provincial and territorial investments to reduce child care fees in the Canada-wide early-learning and child care system.

Learn More:

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

For more information about the ChildCareBC New Spaces Fund, visit: https://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