Relief is on the way for the child care crunch in Gordon Head and Queenswood area of Saanich.
The previously threatened child care program at the University of Victoria is getting $500,000 from the province to build a new facility and will increase its numbers by 32 to 116 for next year.
B次元官网网址淭he funding will allow us to transform Child Care Complex B into two new child care centres, creating 32 new spaces for preschool aged children of UVic students, faculty and staff families,B次元官网网址� said Jim Forbes, director of campus services at UVic.
The announcement came Monday that the province is adding 251 new licensed child-care spaces in Greater Victoria, 172 of which are in Saanich, a $2.7 million investment from the provinceB次元官网网址檚 Child Care Major Capital Funding Program. ItB次元官网网址檚 part of a $33-million plan to create more than 3,800 child-care spaces in B.C. More than half of the planned 3,800 new spaces in B.C. are at non-profit run centres and a fifth are at Indigenous child-care providers.
Locally, the funding of $174,381 will add 20 preschool places at the Cloverdale Child Care Society, $387,000 to add 60 spaces at Arbutus Grove Nature Program and Out of School Care, $219,137 to add 20 spaces at Kids Klub Torquay, $218,937 for 20 spaces at Kids Klub Northridge, $200,957 for 20 spaces at Kids Klub Braefoot, $12,400 for 12 spaces at the Curious Kids Infant and Toddler Centre, $250,000 to add 15 spaces at the Victoria Montessori Childcare Centre, $388,548 for 24 spaces at the James Bay Infant Plus Daycare Centre and $371,173 for 28 new spaces at the Phoenix Child Care Centre with the Victoria Immigrant and Refugee Centre Society.
ItB次元官网网址檚 a big addition for Arbutus Grove ChildrenB次元官网网址檚 Centre, of which 48 of the new spots are out-of-school-care spots for Frank Hobbs elementary students (kindergarten to Grade 5) and 12 are for new nature preschool spots for children three to five.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 60 new child care spaces that weB次元官网网址檙e excited about,B次元官网网址� said director Lynn Young.
To make room Arbutus is building a new space on Frank Hobbs SD61 land.
Meanwhile construction already started at UVicB次元官网网址檚 Child Care Complex B in October. The renovations will transform the current large, open, interior space of the 1993-built Complex B into two new child care centres with a shared kitchen and separate exterior entrances.
Around B.C. the province is in the process of working with child-care providers to sign project agreements that include the specific requirements identified for each site, such as property needs (for lease or purchase), local zoning permits and the hiring of contractors to renovate the sites.
B次元官网网址淭hese 251 new spaces are just a start, and we know thereB次元官网网址檚 more work to do,B次元官网网址� said Lana Popham, MLA for Saanich South.
The new child-care spaces are part of the B.C. governmentB次元官网网址檚 long-term goal of implementing universal child care in B.C.
