114 early learning and childcare spaces announced for the Kamloops area

British Columbia’s Ministry of Education and Child Care has announced the expansion of the $10-a-day childcare spaces and addition of new childcare spaces in the Kamloops area.

On Monday, the province said it had signed five-year extensions to the Canada-British Columbia Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement and to the Canada-British Columbia Early Learning and Child Care Agreement.

As a result, the Kamloops Aboriginal Friendship Society has funds for 33 new childcare spaces, which will be funded through the Early Learning and Child Care Infrastructure Fund.

An additional 81 spaces will be built in Savona by the Skeetchestn First Nation.

Under BC’s New Spaces Fund, the Yellowhead Community Services Society in Clearwater will soon operate 13 spaces.

Meanwhile, between March 1 and April 1, 2025, BC families will have access to 770 new $10-a-day spaces at 22 child care centres throughout the province.

That includes new spaces in the Shuswap and Cariboo region.

Williams Lake will get 49 spaces, Sorrenton Preschool will get 20 spots and Quesnel’s Cheeky Monkey’s Daycare will get seven new funded spaces.

“As we face economic threats and British Columbians struggle with rising costs, we are continuing to make critical investments in child care,” said Lisa Beare, Minister of Education and Child Care.

“By increasing access to child care and saving families thousands of dollars per year, we’re helping hard-working British Columbians and securing a stronger future for our province today.”

The province said the goal of this latest round of investment was to focus on prioritizing new $10-a-day facilities in communities that didn't have access to the program and/or areas that serve low income areas.

In the past seven years, the Province and Government of Canada have invested nearly $8 billion, which has resulted in more than 40,000 new child care spaces funded and more than 16,000 $10-a-day child care spaces throughout BC.