New Child Care spaces set for Lax Kw'alaams and Haida Gwaii

North Coast MLA 
Jennifer Rice

The provincial government continues to expand on its plan to create Daycare spaces across British Columbia with seventy new licensed  spaces announced today for Haida Gwaii and Lax Kw'alaams.

North Coast MLA Jennifer Rice shared word of the latest spaces for  the region which are part of the Childcare BC New Spaces Fund, with eight of the spaces destined for Haida Gwaii and 62 new spaces to be in place for Lax Kw'alaams residents.

“Having access to high-quality child care that is close to home is a game changer for families. For people in our north coast communities, not being able to get their kids into child care can be a barrier to being able to take advantage of employment and other opportunities. Creating new spaces like these ones is a vital investment in creating strong communities overall.” -- Jennifer Rice, MLA for North Coast.

In Lax Kw'alaams, the Band Council is planning the community’s first child care centre. 

The centre will create 62 new, licensed child care spaces, including 12 spaces for infants and toddlers, 16 spaces for children aged three years to kindergarten, 17 preschool spaces and 17 school-age spaces. 

As part of their background information to today's announcement, the province notes that the Lax Kw'alaams centre is expected to open in September 2022 and will partner with Coast Mountain College to provide practicum placements for early childhood education students. 

In addition, the centre will host an immunization program to ensure kids are up to date with their vaccinations and give parents an opportunity to ask any questions.

On Haida Gwaii the additional eight licensed spaces at DANU Child Care are providing care for children up to 12 years of age.

Find out more about today's announcement here.

For more notes from Lax Kw'alaams see our archive page here.

Notes of interest from Haida Gwaii can be reviewed here.