A city child-care centre that received $500,000 in government funding last year to create new spaces cannot expand because it can't find new staff.

And another child-care centre, which received $300,000 and is nearing completion, may encounter the same problem.

The struggle to find early childhood educators to care for young children comes at the same time the province is announcing more capital funding to create spaces. Kamloops is among the communities on a priority list for expansion using $12.5 million in capital funding announced Monday.

"We keep advertising and trying to recruit staff," said Deborah Frolek, executive director of the Kamloops Child Development Society. "That's all we can do."

The North Shore centre received $500,000 transferred from Ottawa last year, a legacy of the Liberal program cancelled after one year by the Tories.

But Frolek said it cannot open the 40 new spaces without staff and new operating funding.

"We require one staff for every four kids. We're struggling to keep our current programs open."

Frolek said she applauds new capital dollars for child-care spaces but said government must recognize the struggle to recruit early childhood education workers. At the root of the problem is traditionally low wages for workers who require a college education.

"We haven't completed the transaction on our new building," said Fred Baxter, chairman of the board of the Children's Circle Daycare, which received $300,000 last year for an expansion. "Every indication is staffing is a significant challenge. We've also run local (job) postings and there are challenges."

Marian Hardy, executive director of the Cariboo Child Care Society, said the university daycare won't be applying to the provincial fund due to a shortage of workers. She also questioned whether the provincial government understands the crisis in staffing.

Janis Arner, acting director of the YM/YWCA's childcare resource and referral centre, said the new opportunity for licensed family and for-profit centres to apply for funding -- rather than traditional non-profit group centres -- may help create new spaces.

But she echoed concerns of others in the field about a lack of workers.

"It's been difficult to find staff. You can create spaces but if you don't have the staff. . . ."