By Canadian Press

Province says fund will help create 22,000 childcare spaces in B.C. by 2021

Jul 6, 2018 | 10:20 AM

COQUITLAM, B.C. – British Columbia’s children’s minister visited a childcare facility in Coquitlam today to explain how the government intends to create thousands of more childcare spaces across the province.

Katrine Conroy says providers can now apply to a new fund for a portion of the $237 million that was announced in the spring budget for such programs.

She says $221 million has been earmarked specifically for the new spaces fund and it will be available to private-sector, non-profit and public-sector childcare providers, with the aim of creating 22,000 new licensed spaces coming over the next three years.

The fund will also support the creation of spaces on school grounds for before- and after-school care for elementary-aged youngsters.

Spaces for infant and toddler care top the list of priorities and funding preference will also be given to communities with the greatest need, such as fast-developing urban centres and Indigenous, rural and remote communities.

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Katrina Chen, the minister of state for childcare, says the funding formula includes separate caps for different categories of daycare providers, and the province is also looking to address wages, recruitment and retention for early childhood educators.

(The Canadian Press)