Homalco First Nation celebrates child care centre groundbreaking
Families and children living in Homalco and the Campbell River area will soon benefit from 79 new child care spaces as construction of a child care centre gets underway.
“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 Province has partnered with Homalco First Nation to build this facility, which 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.”
This project is jointly supported by provincial investments and federal funding and is made possible through more than $9.5 million from the ChildCareBC New Spaces fund and the federal Early Learning and Child Care Infrastructure Fund.
“These new child care spots will make a significant difference for families in Campbell River, providing them with the flexibility and support they need while ensuring children have the best possible start in life,” said Jenna Sudds, federal Minister of Families, Children and Social Development. “We are committed to delivering more affordable and high-quality child care across British Columbia, including culturally appropriate child care that incorporates and honours the languages and traditions of First Nations.”
To ensure that children and families have access to additional support, priority programming will include collaboration with Supported Child Development and the Aboriginal Supported Child Development Program, including various community programs.
“Our children are our future, and it is important that we have child care in our community for the success of our children, as well as their parents,” said Shaylene Harry, health director, Homalco First Nation. “This new centre will provide Homalco with the opportunity to provide even more employment opportunities to our membership, and contribute to the need for child care in Campbell River as a whole. It also serves as another outlet of passing on our traditional teachings to our children.”
Funding the creation of new child care spaces is part of the Province’s goal to build access to affordable, quality, inclusive child care as a core service families can rely on. Since 2018, ChildCareBC accelerated space creation programs have helped fund the creation of more than 39,000 licensed child care spaces in B.C., with more than 600 of these in Campbell River and the surrounding area.
Quote:
Élisabeth Brière, Parliamentary Secretary to the federal Minster of Families, Children and Social Development –
“The groundbreaking of this new child care centre, led by Homalco First Nation, is great news for parents and their children in Campbell River. Soon, 79 families will benefit from new child care spots in their community. We are committed to delivering child care that is inclusive and culturally appropriate, and this new centre reflects is a testament of that commitment.”
Quick Facts:
- The ChildCareBC plan includes a commitment to ensure Indigenous children and families have full access to child care in B.C. and to partner with Indigenous leaders and communities to build culturally relevant child care that meets the unique needs of Indigenous families
- ChildCareBC New Spaces fund is jointly supported by provincial investments and federal funding under the 2021-22 to 2025-26 Canada-British Columbia Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement.
- This project is for construction of a standalone building to a Green Building Standard.
- This child care centre is expected to open its doors in 2025.
- The Province and the Government of Canada invested more than $260 million in 2023 to fund the creation of new licensed child care spaces in high-need areas in B.C.
Learn More:
For more information about the ChildCareBC New Spaces Fund, visit: https://gov.bc.ca/childcare/newspacesfund
For more information about ChildCareBC, visit: https://gov.bc.ca/childcare
For more information on 2021-22 to 2025-26 Canada-British Columbia Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement, visit: https://www.canada.ca/en/early-learning-child-care-agreement/agreements-provinces-territories/british-columbia-canada-wide-2021.html