Grand Opening Of New Child Care Centres Celebrated In Courtenay

Several people were on hand yesterday for the grand opening of a pair of child care centres in Courtenay.

The child care spaces are located at Arden and Glacier View Elementary schools.

“Child care on school grounds has a real impact on families’ lives,” said Mitzi Dean, Minister of State for Child Care.

“By providing high-quality child care directly on school grounds, children receive the best start on their early learning in a familiar, nurturing environment, while making it easier for busy parents to balance their professional and personal responsibilities.”

School District 71 (Comox Valley) received almost $8 million in provincial funding through the ChildCareBC New Spaces Fund to build new child care on school grounds.

Seventy-five new spaces at each school will be created for a total of 150 new spaces.

This includes 24 spaces for infant toddlers, 32 spaces for kids aged three to five and 94 new spaces for school-age care on school grounds.
Comox Valley School Board Chair Michelle Waite says the new facilities represent a significant step forward in providing accessible, affordable, and high-quality early-learning environments for families in the Valley.

“The centres at Arden and Glacier View will help parents with supporting their families and pursuing their professional and educational goals with the confidence that their children are receiving excellent care and education.”

Since 2018, ChildCareBC-accelerated space-creation programs have helped fund the creation of more than 37,000 new licensed child care spaces in B.C., including more than 690 in Courtenay and the surrounding area.

“These new child care spaces on school grounds will be a wonderful resource for families as Courtenay’s population continues to grow,” said Ronna-Rae Leonard, MLA, Courtenay-Comox. “Having child care at schools reduces the number of transitions students have in a day, which is easier for them and their families.

These much-needed spaces will go a long way to help relieve some of the stress on working families and greatly support our community.”

To see the full release, visit Government of British Columbia.