120 new licensed child care spaces coming to Kamloops and Chase

The Province of British Columbia is doing what it can to get parents through the challenging times put in place by the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to a release from the province, Kamloops and Chase will soon have access to 120 new licensed child care spaces as part. Childcare BC's New Spaces Fund is supporting three organizations to create 41 spots for infants and toddlers, 55 spaces for children aged three to kindergarten, 20 spots for preschoolers, and four spaces for elementary school children.

"By working with our community partners, we're bringing child care closer to home for families who need it the most," said Katrine Conroy, Minister of Children and Family Development. "These new spaces will not only support local economies but also make life better for parents and offer their children a safe space to learn and grow."

Gateway Children's Centre, which will be located in the Gateway City Church at 163 Oriole Road, features 75 spaces for children. The 186 square-metre outdoor play area will include accessible climbers, slides, ladders, hoppers, and bumpers. It is expected to be open by the spring of 2021.

"I, along with the leaders and membership of Gateway City Church, am really excited and am looking forward to providing our community with a high-quality child care centre next spring," said Pastor Matt Schultz, Gateway City Church. "This has been something that has been dreamt and talked about for a long time and it is exciting to see it come to fruition. Our hope is to be able to meet a great need of children and families within the Kamloops community."

The Cariboo Child Care Society will create 32 spots for children at a newly renovated facility at Thompson Rivers University. It will fully-staffed and operational by September 2022.

"This renovation will be part of the new TRU Early Childhood Education Centre; a consolidated academic research and teaching facility that will be unique on a global basis and the first of its kind in Canada," said Dillon Alexandre, manager of facilities, TRU. "The centre will consolidate several existing programs from across campus and include the relocation of a portion of the TRU early childhood education program, the Children and the Law Laboratory, and the relocation and expansion of the existing Cariboo Child Care Society."

In Chase, the Adams Lake Indian Band is making four spaces available for school-aged children at the Sahhaltkum Daycare. It will open in March 2022.

For more information on the new spaces, click here.