FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. - Families in Northeast B.C. are set to benefit from a provincial investment aimed at expanding licensed before and after-school child care programs on school grounds.
The B.C. government announced that 22 school districts across the province will receive funding to repurpose existing school space and create approximately 1,200 new child care spaces over the next year.
The initiative is designed to provide families with more convenient and affordable care options close to home.
In the Peace Region, both the Peace River North School District and Peace River South School District have been selected for funding.
Under the program, Bert Ambrose Elementary School in Fort St. John will gain 24 licensed school-age child care spaces.
In Dawson Creek, Canalta Elementary will receive 24 spaces and Crescent Park Elementary will add 12 spaces, bringing a total of 36 new school-age spaces to School District 59.
The province says the new spaces are being funded through a $5-million child care capital program administered by the Ministry of Infrastructure.
The funding will support renovations and the repurposing of existing school facilities to create licensed child care programs.
“Before and after school can be a hectic time for parents and caregivers,” said Lisa Beare, Minister of Education and Child Care and acting Minister of Infrastructure.
“By creating more child care on school grounds, we are giving more families access to convenient, high-quality child care, in places they already know and trust.”
The government says school districts receiving funding will also be supported through additional provincial investments, including $20 million over the next three years to help cover operating costs and $2 million for startup expenses such as staff training, equipment and toys.
The announcement also includes a separate $2.9-million provincial program that will open for applications this fall.
The funding is intended to help school districts establish and operate additional board-run school-age child care programs on school grounds over the next two years.
Families using the new programs will be eligible for fee reductions through B.C.’s Child Care Fee Reduction Initiative, which can lower the cost of school-age care by as much as $320 per child each month.
Additional assistance may also be available through the Affordable Child Care Benefit.
According to the province, nearly 52,000 child care spaces are currently located on school grounds in B.C., representing a 61 per cent increase since the launch of the ChildCareBC program in 2018.
The new spaces in Fort St. John and Dawson Creek are expected to open within the next year.