Text of press release:
Two thousand children of non-working parents will benefit from $1.7 million in funding as part of $4.9 million in increased child care spending announced today by the Minister of Children and Family Development, Christy Clark. As part of this investment, over $1 million will be spent on capital improvements at B.C. child care centres. "We know all children can benefit from early childhood education and we are providing nonworking parents with access to programs that help prepare children for school," said Clark. "This is one step of many our government intends to take over the next few months to improve early childhood and child care programs." Funding announced will support several programs: - $1.7 million for 2000 children of non-working families to attend community pre-school. - $435,000 will provide capital funding for 200 new child care spaces in eight facilities. - $1 million in capital funding will allow child care centres to apply for funding to create more child care spaces and maintain and repair existing ones. - $700,000 will enhance funding for 37 child care resource and referral programs province-wide to register non-licensed child care providers that meet safety and training requirements. - $1.1 million will supplement the operating funding provided to over 600 licensed child care centres that provide before and after school care. Today's increases, part of the Federal-Provincial Early Learning and Child Care Agreement, represent the first funding announced since child care programs were brought together under the umbrella of the Ministry of Children and Family Development at the end of June.