Parents of 126 children in Prince George will begin saving hundreds of dollars a month on childcare, starting in February.
Starting on Feb. 1, the YMCA of Northern B.C.’s Lac Des Bois Care and Learning Centre and the Prince George and District Elizabeth Fry Society’s Elizabeth Fry Family Centre will offer childcare for $10 per day. On Monday, the B.C. Ministry of Education and Child Care announced funding for 725 new childcare spaces across the province to join the $10 a Day ChildCareBC program.
"With costs - such as interest rates, fuel and groceries - rising, the $10 a Day ChildCareBC program is extremely impactful on my family," said Dawn Sissons, parent at YMCA Lac Des Bois Care and Learning Centre. "The cost of daycare for our two children was significantly more than our mortgage payment. Now, the reduction in the cost of child care for my family means that we can absorb the rising cost of living while maintaining the extracurricular activities that our children love, like dance, swimming and gymnastics."
The Lac Des Bois Care and Learning Centre will offer a total of 118 $10 a day spaces (12 infant-toddler, 25 2.5 years to kindergarten, 20 preschool and 61 school-age). The Elizabeth Fry Family Centre offers eight infant and toddler spaces.
The YMCA of Northern B.C. also received funding for 16 multi-age spaces at the Fort St. James Care and Learning Centre.
"YMCA BC is thrilled to enter into a $10-a-day agreement with the Province for our Fort St. James and Prince George locations," said Lynette Mikalishen, director of childcare services for the YMCA of Northern B.C. "Having access to quality, inclusive, accessible and now affordable childcare is life changing for children and families. The YMCA believes that supporting families builds healthy communities and we are excited to support more families in northern B.C. to thrive."
In Prince George, $10 per day childcare is now available at the YMCA Lac Des Bois Care and Learning Centre, YMCA Highland Development Centre, YMCA Massey Care and Learning Centre, Montessori Early Learning Centre, Montessori Child Care Centre and Elizabeth Fry Family Centre.
To date, the provincial government has funded a total of 12,700 $10 a day childcare spaces in B.C.
