New child care spaces coming to Burnaby

Burnaby: Even more B.C. parents will have access to child care as the Province marks the latest milestone in its popular Childcare BC plan with funding for more than 13,000 new spaces since July 2018. “Our government has embarked on the biggest child care space creation program in B.C.’S history,” said Katrine Conroy, Minister of Children and Family Development. “In just over 18 months, we have, on average, funded almost 700 new spaces per month because families have been waiting too long for access to licensed child care. We’ve been overwhelmed by the positive response from providers, large and small, wanting to work with us to support families as part of our Childcare BC plan.”

Katrina Chen, Minister of State for Child

Care, announced the new spaces at the celebration for the latest achievement in Burnaby. The majority of Burnaby’s 682 newly approved spaces are the result of a partnership between the Burnaby School District and the City of Burnaby.

“These new spaces are being created through the collective strengths of our partners,” said Chen. “The City of Burnaby and the Burnaby School District have been among the first to step up and work with the Province to deliver hundreds of spaces at a time. It’s this kind of critical mass we want to see more of for all communities, and recent proposed changes to the School Act are designed to make it easier for school boards to operate before- and after-school spaces.”

Changes to the School Act will also allow school boards to prioritize available space and create programs based on the unique needs of their community, as well as require them to create an inclusive child care policy.

“Safe, affordable, licensed care gives parents and guardians the peace of mind they need to go to work or school - knowing they have quality care they can rely on close to home,” said Rob Fleming, Minister of Education. “Our government is paving the way to ensure more child care is offered on school grounds, giving Burnaby families more supports and services.” The Burnaby School District is partnering with the Province and the City of Burnaby to create 601 new spaces at eight different locations on school district property, with six located on elementary school properties. Operators will provide inclusive environments for children, including serving those with extra-support needs, as well as vulnerable populations, Indigenous communities and families who are new to Canada. “There is no better investment a government can make than investing in our children,” said Stace Dayment, a Burnaby parent. “This is a historic and positive change. I am excited for the families of our community to finally have this essential service.” In addition, Doxa Education Group is creating 81 new spaces in Burnaby.

The new spaces are part of the fastest provincewide creation of child care spaces in B.C.’S history. An additional 4,100 spaces, funded through the 2017 Budget Update and the Early Learning and Child Care agreement with the Government of Canada, bring the total to more than 17,000 spaces since July 2017.

Since launching in February 2018, the Childcare BC plan has helped parents save up to $1,600 a month per child, for a total of more than $400 million going to families through the Affordable Child Care Benefit and Child Care Fee Reduction Initiative. Through these programs, almost 29,000 children have received child care for no more than $10 a day. “Expanding access to public child care and early childhood education spaces has been foundational to this minority government,” said Sonia Furstenau, MLA for Cowichan Valley. “Aligning early childhood care and learning with our existing schools, in particular, has been a wonderful way to further invest in our public education system and create healthier communities.”

Investing in child care and early childhood education is a shared priority between government and the BC Green Party caucus, and is part of the Confidence and Supply Agreement.

Quick Facts:

• In January 2020, the Province launched a new professional development program, which is giving early childhood educators (ECES) access to more than 30 teaching specialists at community hubs throughout B.C., helping them stay up to date on the latest child care teaching trends and techniques.

• The Province has made significant investments to improve supports to B.C.’S early care and learning professionals, including investing approximately $16 million to provide more than 5,400 bursaries for students pursuing a career in child care.

• To date, the Province has invested more than $19 million to provide more than 11,500 ECES with a $1-per-hour wage enhancement, with another $1-per-hour lift to come in April 2020.

Quick Facts about child care in Burnaby: • This recent investment in 682 spaces means that a total of 977 new licensed child care spaces have been funded in Burnaby since July 2018. • The school district projects are being created as part of their $35.7-million plan to add nearly 800 new child care spaces to the community. The Burnaby School District provides the sites for the projects, with the city contributing capital costs. Project completion dates range from January 2020 to December 2022.

• The City of Burnaby is receiving a $25,000 grant through the Union of British Columbia Municipalities’ Community Child Care Planning Grant Program to help create a long-term child care plan to support families in the community. • Since launching in February 2018, the Childcare BC plan has helped parents in Burnaby save more than $21 million through the Affordable Child Care Benefit and Child Care Fee Reduction Initiative. • In November 2018, four child care providers in Burnaby were selected to deliver lowcost child care