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By Sam Bennison

SD57 Childcare Centres

$13.45 million will build 3 new childcare centres in SD57

Sep 28, 2023 | 10:03 AM

PRINCE GEORGE— School District 57 have announced three new 62-space child care centres today. Two centres in Prince George and one in MacKenzie. Each centre will provide space for 12 Children under 36 months of age, 25 children from 30 months to school age, and 25 school-aged children.The MacKenzie site has a planned completion date of summer 2025 and will be located at 32 Heather Crescent, on the site of the former Mackenzie Elementary School. The Prince George locations have a planned completion date for summer 2026 and 2027. The first location will be at 4543 West Avenue Road, and will be located on the site of the former Austin Road Elementary School. The last location to be built will be the next to the former Central Fort George Elementary School, located at 2955 Third Avenue Prince George.

The Board of Education is thrilled at the announcement of funding for three new child care centers in the district. There is a great need for child care in the communities we serve and we are grateful we can continue to enhance and support this valuable service for children and their families.

Rachael Weber, Board Chair.

Funding support totalling around $13.5 million was provided from both the federal and provincial government through the ChildCareBC New Spaces Fund. Federal Funding is provided under the Canada-British Columbia Canada-wide Early Learning and Childcare Agreement – 2021-2026.

“Funding three new child care centres in Prince George and Mackenzie speaks to our commitment to create child care spaces where they are needed most. We know child care is life-changing for families, which is why we are partnering with the Prince George School District to build access to affordable, quality, inclusive child care as a core service that all families can rely on. These centres will be assets to the community for years to come, benefiting countless families.”

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Families whose children attend the new childcare centres will benefit from the Child Care Fee Reduction Initiative (CCFRI) savings. Early Childhood Educators will also be eligible for the Early Childhood Educator Wage Enhancement program (ECE-WE).