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March 02, 2021 - 11:18 AM
Okanagan and Kamloops families will soon have access to more childcare spaces.
The province announced today, March 2, nearly 450 Okanagan and 122 Kamloops licensed childcare spaces are set to open as part of the province’s commitment to increasing access to childcare through the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond, according to a Ministry of Children and Family Development press release.
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“Good, affordable childcare gives kids a head start on learning and gives parents more options when raising their families,” said Harwinder Sandhu, NDP MLA for Vernon-Monashee, in the release. “I remember the challenges I faced as a single mother raising my kids and struggling to find childcare. I truly appreciate how much it can change things for a family.
"These hundreds of new spaces across the Okanagan will give other parents the ability to work or go back to school and upgrade their careers, while their kids benefit from a safe, healthy and educational environment.”
The funding will provide 37 new spaces in Kelowna, 81 in Lake Country, 77 in Penticton, 253 in Vernon and 122 in Kamloops.
These spaces are part of the fastest creation of childcare spaces in B.C.’s history, the ministry said, and were part of the September 2020 milestone that marked more than 20,000 new spaces funded throughout the province in more than two years.
For more information on Childcare B.C., visit the ministry's website here.
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