Parents and caregivers in the city will soon have more childcare options as the provincial government is investing in 182 new licensed child care spaces in Prince George.
The province is supporting six projects that will create these 182 new spaces and expects 75 of them to be ready by September 2021.
New child care spaces are on the way for families at the following locations:
- Aboriginal Housing Society Family Care Centre (40 spaces)
- Carrier Sekani Family Services Daycare (38 spaces)
- Lheidli T'enneh Childcare Centre (75 spaces)
- School District No. 57 (29 spaces):
- Malaspina Childcare with YMCA (nine spaces)
- Nukko Lake Childcare (10 spaces)
- Quinson Childcare with Big Brothers Big Sisters (10 spaces)
The Aboriginal Housing Society of Prince George’s 40 new spaces are a part of its new child care facility connected to affordable housing units that service the urban Indigenous community which is under construction.
The project is slated for opening in spring 2022, and the facility include 12 infant/toddler spaces, 16 school-age spaces and 12 after-school spaces.
“We are excited to be collaborating with the Ministry of Children and Family Development to create this child care centre. Not only is it centred in a one-of-a-kind urban Indigenous community in the heart of Prince George, but it will help shape the lives of children for many years to come," said Kim Hamilton, acting executive director, Aboriginal Housing Society of Prince George.
"Collaboration with the Native Friendship Centre to deliver services will help families to realize their goals in the workplace and further their education as they know their children will be enveloped in a warm, nurturing environment."
Carrier Sekani Family Services (CSFS), in partnership with the City of Prince George, is also building a daycare with 38 new, licensed child care spaces including 16 infant/toddler spaces and 22 spaces for children aged three years to kindergarten.
The facility is expected to open this summer and programming will honour the heritage and traditions of Carrier and Sekani language and culture, with a priority given to children and families from the 11 member Nations, those who are new to Canada, and children and families of CSFS staff.
The Lheidli T'enneh First Nation and Exploration Place are partnering to open a new facility to be completed by March 2022. It will create 75 new child care spaces, including 24 for infants and toddlers, 25 for children aged three years to kindergarten, and 26 for school-aged children.
Programming will be based on the Lheidli T'enneh calendar and will emphasize language and culture including Elder involvement, storytelling, song and dance, blessings and prayers, and land-based learning.
Funding is also coming for childcare spaces within School District No. 57 (SD57).
SD57 will be offering 20 part-time after-school child care spaces both at Nukko Lake Elementary school and Quinson Elementary school and 18 after-school child care spaces at Malaspina Elementary school.
Funding will be used to support minor renovations at an existing child care facilities at the schools and the spaces will be available for the start of the new school year in September 2021. Before-school care may be added in the future.
In late April, construction also began on the city’s new downtown childcare centre, located next to the Park House Condominiums, which is set to provide 85 new spaces and will be operated by the YMCA.
In September 2020, the City of Prince George received a total of $4 million in grant funding from the province's Childcare BC New Spaces Fund ($3 million) and the Union of BC Municipalities ($1 million) to construct the project.
It is expected to open in late 2021.
Since July 2018, almost 26,000 new licensed child care spaces have been funded in British Columbia, including 566 in Prince George.
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