Province investing into 42 new child care spaces at Walnut Park

42 new child care spaces are expected to be open in the Town of Smithers in the 2021-22 school year.

The Province has invested in creating the spaces as part of the Walnut Park Elementary School redesign.

The spaces will accommodate children ages three to five years old.

According to Stikine MLA Doug Donaldson more affordable child care will mean more for parents, for young people and for employers looking for employees for their businesses.

Donaldson said the province has heard from residents that there is a need for the spaces as well as the child educators.

“It fits hand in hand with the new spaces it’s funding that our government supplied to the college system and in particular Coast Mountain College for early childhood educator training,” he said.

According to Donaldson the decision to put the spaces in Walnut Park Elementary was a collaborative process to decide which school needed the upgrade.

The renovation project for the school is worth $26 million to $28 million.

Donaldson said the creation of child care spaces is important.

“It’s such a big part of our government’s focus is child care. A lot of people see it of course as easing the life of parents and making sure that children have a safe and great environment to grow up in,” he said.

In a statement released Tuesday (Mar 10) by the provincial government 95 new licensed child care spaces in Smithers since 2018.

The town is part of the fastest provincewide creation of child care spaces in the history of B.C.