'We've got to keep up the momentum': Province announces new child-care spaces in Victoria
144 of the new spaces will be located at Greater Victoria elementary schools
The province has announced 260 new licensed child-care spaces in Greater Victoria.
The announcement comes amid ongoing reports of parents facing long waiting lists, a shortage of spaces and expensive child care across the province.
Of the 260 new spaces in the Greater Victoria region, 144 will be located at three elementary schools in the area: Oaklands Elementary School, Braefoot Elementary School and Lampson Elementary School.
The spaces are funded by the province's Child Care B.C. New Spaces Fund, which is investing $221 million to support the creation of 22,000 licensed child-care spaces throughout the province.
1,600 spaces in 6 months
The 260 newly announced spaces are in addition to the 500 spaces announced in 2018 for the Greater Victoria region.
Education Minister Rob Fleming joined Mitzi Dean, Esquimalt-Metchosin MLA, and Andrew Weaver, the Green MLA for Oak Bay-Gordon Head, for the announcement in Saanich's Arbutus neighbourhood on Monday.
The Education Ministry says nearly 140 licensed child-care spaces are being created each month in B.C., and about 1,600 more spaces will open within the next six months.
"We've got to keep up the momentum," Fleming told Dave Biro, guest host of All Points West.
A recent child-care needs assessment by the Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District concluded the region, located approximately 195 kilometres northwest of Victoria, is suffering from a child-care crisis.
The region is in the process of applying for province-provided capital grants to create new child-care spaces.
Marcie DeWitt, co-author of the child-care needs assessment for Alberni-Clayoquot, says the announcement concerning Greater Victoria is a great step forward for the province.
"I think it's exciting. Any space creation that can be made possible throughout B.C. is incredibly needed at this point," she said.
Using space in existing schools
Eighty-five child-care spaces recently opened at Frank Hobbs Elementary School in Victoria, providing early childhood education for infants and toddlers, as well as preschool age child-care, and before and after school care.
The new spaces are being made available through a combination of new construction and the re-purposing of spaces in existing schools and community buildings.
"The ones that are the easiest to create are in school districts that have access to space. We can do much simpler renovation projects with excess classroom space," Fleming said.
Spaces at Lampson elementary will be available in early 2020.
The new child-care spaces at Braefoot elementary are tied to a seismic upgrade of that school. The spaces will be ready for the 2021 school year. Child-care spaces at Oaklands elementary will be tentatively available August 2021, Fleming said.
Other places in Victoria that are developing new spaces for parents with young children include Oasis Daycare, Little Wild Early Learning and Maple Tree Children's Centre.
Listen to the full interview here:
With files from All Points West