School District 57 is opening a new 50-space child care centre for children aged 30 months to five years old. School District 57 is partnering with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northern BC to operate the new early learning centre.
It is housed in a newly renovated building at 1788 Diefenbaker Avenue and is scheduled to
open on Monday, June 19. The site was selected after a review of the 2020 City of Prince
George Child Care Action Plan deemed there was a need in this community.
Funding of $1.2 million was provided from the federal and provincial governments through the ChildCareBC New Spaces Fund to make this project come to fruition. Federal funding is provided under the Canada-British Columbia Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement – 2021 to 2026.
“Affordable child care is life changing for families, and good for communities and the economy
as a whole,” said Grace Lore, Minister of State for Child Care, in a news release. “The opening of the new Early Learning Centre is great news for families in Prince George who will be able to pursue work, education, or other opportunities knowing their children are well cared for. I want to thank School District 57 and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northern BC for working with government to help ensure families can get ahead through access to affordable, quality child care.”
“These additional spaces are great news for the community of Prince George,” said Karina Gould, Canada’s Minister of Families, Children and Social Development. “They will help families in the community by providing high-quality child care at more affordable rates, and help more children get the best possible start in life. By working with our provincial and territorial partners, the Government of Canada is committed to building a Canada-wide early learning and child care system that will benefit children, families, and communities from coast-to-coast-to-coast.”
“The District recognizes the need for this type of child care in this neighbourhood, so we are all very excited that we are able to provide a high-quality early learning centre in our community,” said Rachael Weber, Chair, School District 57 Board of Trustees. “We are also grateful for the funding provided by the province, which allows us to provide this space for families so their children get the daycare they need as they embark on a lifetime love of discovery and learning.”
“This is a very happy day for the district and the families and children who will benefit from this new early learning centre,” said Pam Spooner, Acting Superintendent, School District 57. “We recognize the need for additional child care and our Daycare Development team continues to work towards finding more spaces in our buildings and on our properties, and we look forward to new centres opening in the future.”
Families, whose children attend the new early learning centre will benefit from the Child Care Fee Reduction Initiative (CCFRI) and Child Care Operating Funding (CCOF) incentives. Early Childhood Educators, who work with our youngest learners, will also be eligible for a wage enhancement incentive through the ECE-WE Program.