NDP MLA Toporowski says more families in Cowichan Valley benefiting from investments in child care

DUNCAN — BC NDP MLA Debra Toporowski says that more families in the Cowichan Valley will benefit from child care with funding for new spaces.

“Increased access to child care means more parents will have the flexibility they need to work or study,” says Debra Toporowski, MLA for Cowichan Valley. “This is great news for Duncan families and another example of how our government is working for families across B.C.”

The City of Duncan will operate 36 new child care spaces at McAdam Park, thanks to investment from the BC NDP government’s New Spaces Fund.

This builds on work already underway in the region, including 158 child care spaces at Parkside Academy in the Municipality of North Cowichan, which were also made possible by provincial investment.

More than $62 million is being invested to create more than 750 new licensed child care spaces throughout B.C. through the accelerated space-creation programs. Once operational, these spaces will be eligible for government’s fee reduction program, ensuring that these new spaces will be affordable for families.

These investments represent further progress in partnership with the federal government. The Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement supports the $10-a-Day ChildCareBC program, the New Spaces Fund and additional funding through the federal Child Care Infrastructure Fund support the creation of new child care spaces.

Since 2018, the Province and Government of Canada have invested nearly $8 billion through ChildCareBC to build a future where access to affordable, inclusive and quality child care is a core service that families can rely on. This has resulted in more than 40,000 new child care spaces funded and more than 16,000 $10-a-Day child care spaces throughout B.C.

Learn More: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2025ECC0015-000242