As part of Child Care Month in B.C., the Province is investing more than $101,000 under the B.C. Early Years Strategy to create a dozen new licensed child-care spaces for families in the Comox Valley.
The successful applicant is the Comox Valley Children’s Day Care Society. These 12 group child care spaces for children from birth to 36 months will be located at the Tigger Too Early Learning Centre at 1800 Noel Avenue in Comox.
“As a parent myself, I know how important it is for families to be able to access quality child care,” said Comox Valley MLA Don McRae. “This investment will help local parents get the services they need to ensure a great start for their kids.”
“After 46 years in operation, the Comox Valley Children’s Day Care Society is grateful and excited to be receiving the Child Care New Spaces Grant from MCFD,” said executive co-ordinator Charlene Gray.
“These funds will enable us to create 12 new infant/toddler spaces at our Tigger Too location. We are well aware of the positive impact this new program will have on the Comox Valley. High quality child care is vital to a healthy community and we look forward to being able to serve many new families.”
In November 2015, child-care providers were invited to apply for the third phase of major capital funding to create new licensed child-care spaces throughout B.C. These new spaces are part of government’s commitment to support the creation of 13,000 new spaces by 2020.
Non-profit child-care providers applied for up to $500,000, while private child-care providers could apply for up to $250,000. Priority was given to applications to create child-care spaces in underserved areas of B.C. and on school grounds, where children can smoothly transition from early years programs, to the classroom, to after-school care.
This investment marks the third phase of child-care major capital funding, and will allow child-care providers to:
• Build a new child care facility, including the cost of buying land or a building.
• Purchase and assemble a modular building and develop a site.
• Renovate an existing building.
• Buy eligible equipment (including playground equipment) and furnishings as part of the above activities to support new child-care spaces in an existing facility.