The province has announced new child cares spaces for the north.
Prince George, Bella Coola and Kitimat are expected to receive additional child care spaces. This is made possible through the Child Care B.C. New Spaces Fund.
Prince George will be receiving 73 total new spaces, 25 group child care and 48 school age spaces. In addition, the city received funding through the Union of BC Municipalities Community Child Care Space Creation Program for 12 infant and toddler spaces, bringing the total number spaces to 85. The YMCA Park House Care and Early Learning centre will be hosting these new spaces.
In Kitimat, there will be a total of 60 new licensed spaces. Including 12 infant and toddler spaces, 16 school-age spaces and 32 group multi-age child care spaces. The spaces will be at the Tamitik Status of Women (TSW) 24-Hour Childcare Facility. TSW will operate the facility through a partnership with Haisla Nation. The centre is expected to open in summer 2022.
In Bella Coola there is a total of 100 new child care spaces, 76 school age spaces and 24 preschool age spaces. The centre will open in Feb. 2021. There will be a new building in Bella Coola to host these spaces, it will be built with a longhouse design and will be crafted using Nuxalk architecture. Language preservation will also take place at the Preschool Immersion Nest Program where Nuxalk will be spoken for a minimum of 4 hours a day.
Investment in child care and early childhood education is a shared priority for the government.
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