By Cheryl Jahn

Daycare needs still high

Jun 19, 2023 | 3:31 PM

PRINCE GEORGE – It’s always a contentious issue for parents. Daycare. The challenge is finding one that is taking on new kids. In March of 2020, the City released its Child Care Action Plan which, right off the top noted …

“While there appears to be shortages for child care spaces for all children, spaces for infant and toddler care (ages 0-36 months) and school-age care (6-12 years) are particularly scarce.”

And now, Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Northern BC has partnered with the School District to take over and renovate an office formerly used by Northern Health into a daycare specific to kids aged three to five years of age – the age group identified in the City’s report. It’s not Big Brothers, Big Sisters first daycare but this is unique.

“This is our first 3- to 5- [year] center that we’ve ever opened. It’s been four years in the making, and it was a collaboration with the Early Spaces Grant with our provincial government as well as school District 57,” says Amanda Holmes, Executive Director of Big Brothers, Big Sisters.

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School District 57 has more than 700 childcare seats, some of which exist because of partnerships like this one. And the need is huge.

“There is definitely a high need for child care within our city and provincially, really,” explains Tracy Cole, Principal of Early Learning for School District 57. “So it’s important that we can support families and help them find quality child care.”

And it is not the end for District 57, in its pursuit to provide child care for parents. “We are opening an after-school program at VanWay in September of 2023. And we also have more projects that we’re looking at,” adds Cole. While the doors have opened, the demand is high. But there is a challenge with meeting the demand.

“We do have a waitlist. More so, though, because we are still looking to hire is that the catch? You know, unfortunately, there are not many of them in Prince George. So that’s definitely been a little bit of a hang-up now. But we do have a waitlist, so we’re just waiting for the right people to come along,” says Holmes.

It’s an issue that District 57 is very familiar with.

“Staffing is a challenge,” says Cole. “Many of our daycares that are operated on site are third-party operators, but I know that they face the challenge of finding qualified early childhood educators.”

Children attending the early learning centre will benefit from the Child Care Fee Reduction Initiative and the Early Childhood Educators working here will benefit from the Early Childhood Educator Wage Enhancement.