Homalco First Nation Celebrates Child Care Centre Groundbreaking

The Province is investing in almost 600 new licensed child care spaces throughout British Columbia, including for Homalco First Nation.

The new spaces were made possible with provincial and federal funding through the ChildCareBC New Spaces Fund, as well as the new federal Child Care Infrastructure Fund.

More than $74 million was provided to First Nations, local governments and school districts to create these new child care spaces.

Homalco First Nation will be getting $9.5 million for 79 childcare spaces in one of nine new centres that will be constructed.

“This new child care centre will bring quality, affordable, inclusive and culturally safe child care to the Homalco community and will offer opportunities for families in the region,” said Michele Babchuk, MLA for North Island on behalf of Mitzi Dean, Minister of State for Child Care.

The Homalco facility will include 24 infant-toddler spaces, 25 spaces for children 30 months to kindergarten age, and 30 spaces for school-age children.

Led by Homalco First Nation, the programming and staffing strategies for the centre will align with the Nation’s distinct culture and language.

“This child care announcement is a major step forward for Homalco,” said Chief Darren Blaney.

“It creates employment opportunities in our community and employment capacity building, as well as integration with the City of Campbell River. In the process we can also diversify our economy. This is the path of reconciliation, where we can provide care and cultural teachings within the child care, such as our Ayajuthem language and traditional stories.”

Other centres will be located in: Esk’etemc First Nation, G̱aw Tlagée, Kelowna, Langford, Metchosin, Peachland, Pemberton and West Vancouver.

When the new facilities are open, families will benefit from affordable child care fees through the Province’s fee-reduction program, which reduces the cost of child care by as much as $900 per child per month.

The province says since 2018, ChildCareBC accelerated space-creation programs have helped fund more than 39,000 new licensed child care spaces in B.C.

To learn more, visit Government of British Columbia.