New Child-Care Spaces Open in B.C. Schools to Support Families

On March 14, 2024, several politicians and community leaders gathered at the Ta’talu Child Care Centre in South Surrey to celebrate the introduction of new child-care spaces within British Columbia’s school system. This initiative aims to enhance access to quality child care, benefiting families across twelve communities in the province. The new program, which has created a total of 640 new child-care spaces, comes as part of a broader effort to make child care more accessible and affordable for working families.

The event commenced with a blessing from Semiahmoo First Nation Chief Harley Chappell, who honored the centre by gifting it the SENĆOŦEN-language name Ta’Talu, which translates to “little arms.” Following this, Lisa Beare, British Columbia’s Minister of Education and Child Care, highlighted the significance of these spaces in addressing child-care shortages. “We continue to work towards child care in every community,” Beare stated. “We now have 156,000 spaces that are provincially funded, and families are seeing their average daily fees drop from $47 to $19.”

Beare emphasized the importance of partnerships between the province and local school districts in expanding child-care options. The Ta’talu facility, operated by Alex House, is designed to provide a safe environment for children, allowing parents the convenience of a single drop-off and pick-up location for both school and child care.

Parent Adriana Arango, whose child attends the centre, expressed her appreciation for the arrangement. “This isn’t good only for parents but for our whole school community,” she noted, adding that early exposure to the school environment benefits children before they start kindergarten.

Federal MP Ernie Klassen also voiced support for the initiative, stating that “access to affordable, high-quality and inclusive child care is a necessity.” He underlined the progress made since 2018, with more than 41,000 new spaces funded in British Columbia and nearly 900,000 children across Canada now benefiting from affordable child care. “Families are saving thousands of dollars each year while communities and our economy grow stronger,” Klassen remarked, emphasizing the long-term benefits of investing in child care.

The provincial government allocated over $23.5 million through the ChildCareBC New Spaces funding initiative to facilitate the creation of these new child-care spaces. Gary Tymoschuk, chair of the Surrey school board, praised the collaborative efforts of the staff and child-care providers in fostering a safe and welcoming environment for families. “The investments made by the federal and provincial governments in reliable, affordable child care will have a profoundly positive impact on Surrey,” he said.

The federal Secretary of State for Children and Youth, Anna Gainey, highlighted the importance of these new spaces in reducing waitlist numbers and alleviating financial burdens for parents. “When children have the best start in life, families thrive and all Canadians benefit,” she remarked, reinforcing the shared commitment to improving child-care accessibility across the nation.

The establishment of new child-care spaces in B.C. schools marks a vital step toward supporting working families and ensuring that young children receive the best possible care in their formative years.