Province announces child care funding
Alaska Highway News
October 2, 2007
By: Tessa Holloway

Fort St. John's desperate lack of child care spaces may be getting a boost from the province, but whether any of the money flows to the city is still in the air.

Linda Reid, Minister of State for Child Care, announced $12.5 million in funding Monday with the goal of creating 2,000 new licensed child care spaces by 2010.

Day care providers can apply for a maximum of $500,000 towards any new child care space, however conversions of existing school or public space is being encouraged.

"We very much want to encourage people to do building conversion," she said in an interview. "The typical conversion costs around $40,000-$50,000. That's very good use of the dollar."

In the last round of $14 million in capital funding provided 18 months ago, 190 spaces across the north were created out of a total of 1,450 in the province.

Typically the number of spaces is driven by the population of children, Reid said, but added that the north could see more spaces if more proposals are submitted.

Mayor Jim Eglinski said the announcement for capital projects was welcomed news.

"I think it's something that's drastically needed in the province, and in this community we do not have enough facilities for daycare."

Success by Six, a provincial partnership with the mandate to support early childhood development, estimated the need "very conservatively" at 300 to 400 spaces two years ago in Fort St. John. The numbers vary depending on the type of child care.

"There's a great need for infant child care especially because there's only one centre right now," said Lynn Locher, North Peace coordinator of Success by Six.

"Then with (ages three to five) we still have a few more spaces available there but still a great shortage, especially since the closure of Lollipop day care."

Still, Locher said any money will greatly help provide child care spaces to those in need.

As for plans to convert classrooms into day care spaces, that may not be as easy in the North Peace as they are in other parts of the province.

"The problem in Fort St. John is that we don't have (empty classes). And all our schools are fully utilized and in fact we need an additional school," Locher said.

Eglinski said using public buildings is a possibility, but there are no plans as of yet.

"We've looked at things as a council but there's nothing confirmed," he said….