Centre for Child Development in Surrey, B.C., opens new spaces for special needs kids

B.C. Minister of Children and Family Development, Stephanie Cadieux, helped cut the ribbon on 37 new childcare spaces in Surrey for kids with special needs.

The province provided $500,000 to help renovate a wing of the Centre for Child Development to offer enhanced care to help children "find their words through the use of iPads, pictures and sign language," according to a release from the centre.

There will be 12 spaces for infants and toddlers and 25 for children aged three to five.

"This expansion allows us to enhance our capacity to keep up with regional population growth, offering much-needed child care spaces in a centrally located, brand new accessible facility," said Gerard Bremault, CEO for the Centre for Child Development, Child Development Foundation of British Columbia & Sophie's Place.

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The funding is part of the government's commitment to increase the number of child care spaces in Surrey and in B.C.

Variety-the Children's Charity, also provided $272,000 toward the renovation of the new wing.

"We believe children who have special needs are champions who, with support, can achieve remarkable victories," said Karey Durante, a vice-president with Variety-the Children's Charity.

The new funding will allow the centre to provide 4,300 speech language therapy sessions to 900 children throughout the South Fraser region.

"The Centre for Child Development is a shining example of the sort of multi-use facility we are looking to support," said Cadieux. "The work done at this centre changes the lives of the families and children it serves and that is what it is all about." 

The Centre for Child Development currently serves 2,700 children with special needs while 26,000 children in the South Fraser region have some form of developmental disability.