B.C. Child-Care Minister Linda Reid is hoping a windfall of federal money combined will provincial dollars will fuel a tide of child-care announcements this fall.

"My goal is to do one announcement to two announcements a month all through the fall," Reid said yesterday….

Diane Thorne, the NDP's child-care critic, said the Liberal government will be under scrutiny sufficient to ensure they properly spend the money.

"All of the people watching them . . . myself, the NDP and childcare advocates . . . that will keep them honest," said Thorne, the rookie MLA for Coquitlam-Maillardville.

The money includes $92 million from Ottawa as the first installment in a $633-million five-year funding agreement for early learning and child-care programs.

Ottawa has come up with the money as part of a $5-billion program it has been negotiating with the provinces….