City to make application for UBCM grant to explore daycare options in Prince Rupert

City Council hosted a Special Council session on Wednesday evening,
with one late agenda topic examining the prospect of applying for a
UBCM grant related to daycare planning

A study on daycare options for the city could be on the horizon, after Mayor Lee Brain brought in one late agenda item for City Council's Special Council session of Wednesday evening, seeking approval from Council for the city to apply for a UBCM funded grant opportunity towards a planning process on daycare for the community.

The Mayor outlined how he would like to see the city make an application towards the UBCM Community Child Care Planning Program Grant, which if successful in their application would see the city bring in a consultant to work with community groups and the city to identify opportunities for more child care spaces in Prince Rupert.

The Mayor noted that with a lot of shift work taking place in the city now, the grant would will help identify areas for potentially more child care spaces.

He also observed that there is also a second grant opportunity that would follow, that could be applied for that would create and pay for more child care spaces in Prince Rupert. 

The application process would have no financial impact on the city budget,  outside of staff time to prepare the city's application. And if funded, the consultant would come to the city to do the planning work for the community and interface with the many different NGO's in town. 

He added that the request to seek out the grant came from the Berry Patch in the city.

Councillor Adey inquired about a timeline for the second grant opportunity, the Mayor outlined that the city would apply for that grant following the preparation work that comes from the first grant.

Councillor Mirau expressed some concern over the second grant option and how there is a risk that the province could download the responsibilities for operation on the city, asking if the city would be the applicant applying on behalf of community groups or would the city be applying to operate child care spaces as well.

The Mayor observed that it could be both, using one example of creating more space at the Recreation Centre for after school programming, or the city could apply on behalf of a community group which could get funding to create space for their organization or building.

Councillor Cunningham noted how it could offer an opportunity for the City to develop additional programs at the Civic Centre, with the Mayor adding that the planning process could outline many options to investigate further.

Following their discussion on the topic, Council members voted to make their application for the first phase of the funding.

The deadline for the city to get their application in place is January 18th.

So far the City has not placed the video of the Special Council session of Wednesday evening into their You Tube Video Archive.

More notes related to City Council Discussion topics can be found from our archive page here.