The province of BC says it’s supporting five child care providers to create 395 new licensed child care spaces in Greater Victoria.
That’s on top of the 2,152 new spaces funded locally since a $2.7 billion investment into the ChildCareBC plan launched in July 2018, the province says.
Throughout Greater Victoria, Next Level Childcare Society (non-profit) will see 86 new spaces, with Esquimalt Child Care Centre, Uplands Elementary and Glanford Child Care Centre (SD61) seeing 36, 48 and 44 spaces, respectively.
Meanwhile, Colwood Elementary School (SD62) will see 73 spaces; Victory Hill Daycare (non-profit) will see 24 spaces; and a to-be-announced facility in Saanich (SD63) will see 84 spaces, the province announced Tuesday.
With some of the new spaces on school grounds, Education Minister Jennifer Whiteside says this will help children “more easily transition from their early-care programs into their school community.”
Esquimalt-Metchosin MLA Mitzi Dean echoes Whiteside and notes the over 200 new spaces planned for his riding “will make a huge difference for working families.”
“For decades, parents who wanted to work or attend school were left with few options. I am glad we are working to build a system where child care is accessible for everyone who wants it,” said Dean.
SEE ALSO: 13 more daycares on Vancouver Island to join the $10/day child care program
As a result of ChildCareBC investments, the province says parents in Victoria, Saanich, Sooke, Oak Bay and Esquimalt/Metchosin have saved $22 million, $13 million, $17 million, $6 million and $13 million, respectively.
In 2022-23, Budget 2022 is providing an additional $30 million for the ChildCareBC New Spaces Fund to expand the number of licensed child care spaces province-wide.
Since 2018, the province adds that over 26,000 new licensed child care spaces have been created through the New Spaces Fund and other space-creation programs.
