New daycare spaces in Tahsis

 

NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release 2021CFD0020-000340 March 2, 2021	Ministry of Children and Family Development
Vancouver Island parents to benefit from new child care spaces
VICTORIA – Families on Vancouver Island will soon have access to nearly 340 new licensed child care spaces as part of the Province’s ongoing commitment to increasing access to child care through the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.  “Having access to child care is fundamental for people to be able to take advantage of all the opportunities their communities have to offer,” said Michele Babchuk, MLA for North Island. “We know that having secure child care spaces is vital to the future of Tahsis, just like rural and remote communities everywhere. We also know that when it comes to delivering services people count on, different regions have different needs.” The Childcare BC New Spaces Fund is supporting nine projects to create 336 new licensed child care spaces in Greater Victoria, Sooke, Tahsis and North Saanich. These spaces are part of the fastest creation of child care spaces in B.C.’s history and were part of the September 2020 milestone that marked more than 20,000 new spaces funded throughout the province in just over two years. “Government has been working hard, in collaboration with communities of all sizes, to make sure people can get access to child care—no matter whether they live in Tahsis or Greater Victoria,” Babchuk said. “These investments in new spaces will help give kids a great start in life and level the playing field for young families all around the Island.” New child care spaces are on the way for families in the following communities:  Greater Victoria (210 spaces) Sooke (62 spaces) Tahsis (eight spaces) North Saanich (56 spaces) “As with other small, rural and remote communities in B.C., infrastructure and service solutions in Tahsis require a high level of collaboration, creativity and commitment on behalf of local stakeholders and partners – child care is no exception,” said Martin Davis, mayor, Village of Tahsis. “The village, school district and other stakeholders came together to support this project, which will not only save the community’s only daycare, but enhance the service for children and families.”  An additional 4,110 spaces, funded through the 2017 Budget Update and the Early Learning and Child Care agreement with the Government of Canada, takes the total number of new, licensed spaces funded in B.C. to more than 24,500 since July 2017. “These new child care spaces for families on Vancouver Island are bringing us one step closer to delivering the quality, affordable and inclusive child care that all B.C. families deserve,” said Katrina Chen, Minister of State for Child Care. “Child care for families is key to B.C.’s economic recovery, and these new spaces will make it easier for parents, especially mothers who have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic, to return to work or school.”