The Arcadian Day Care Centre in Duncan recently received a $20,000 grant from the Vancouver Foundation to put cribs, change tables, couches and other fittings in their soon-to-be-opened Infant and Toddler Centre.

The Duncan Daycare Society, in its 30th year, is a not-for-profit society that operates the Arcadian Day Care Centre.

The Society offers a program for 3-5-year-olds but saw a need for care for children under three.

"There's a real need for it in the community," said Rose Granitto, spokesperson for the Society's board of directors. "It's very hard for mothers and fathers to find available spaces for toddlers and infants here."

Scheduled to open in September, the new centre will provide accessible, safe, quality child care for eight infants and eight toddlers.

"At a time when finding quality childcare is at a premium, and funding is often in jeopardy, this generous grant is both timely and crucial to continuing success," Granitto said.

The Society also received government funding for the building costs of the expansion project.

"We received about $490,000 for the building costs but the costs are going to exceed that," Granitto said.

The Society needs to fundraise about $50-$60,000 more, Granitto said.

"With monthly fees from parents and subsidies that come from the government, we're actually able to operate this day care. It's pretty neat actually. And all that money goes back to the people who operate the day care. We have to pay staff and of course there are expenses, so there's not that much money left over."

The Society is looking for community donations to help with the expansion, she said.

"We need to fundraise at least a minimum of 10 per cent of the project. We've done a little bit of fundraising. We do some raffles, but nothing big, because part of the problem is we're a working board. The staff we pay, they're taking care of the kids and they don't have time to fundraise and most members of the board are parents."

The completion date for the project is the end of August, "but whether they hit that target, I don't know," Granitto said.

A 16-space-available waitlist has been started and she urges anyone interested, "to get their name on it as soon as they can."