194 new day-care spaces for city; Funding will create day-care centre for 63 children at Okanagan College
The Daily Courier (Kelowna)
April 24, 2008
By: Ron Seymour

Students and staff at Okanagan College will have access to a new day care on campus next fall.

The 3,000-square-foot building -- to be constructed with the participation of college trades students -- will provide 63 child-care spaces.

"This means I'll be able to spend more time in the day with my daughter, Sydney," Jessica Morcom, a college upgrading instructor said after a Wednesday press conference where the project was announced by provincial officials.

"Finding adequate day care is very challenging, especially in Kelowna," said Lara Jennings, an executive assistant at the college.

"Having a licensed day care here on campus will definitely be an asset."….

Referring to the toddlers playing in front of her, Reid said the new day care would be of benefit for "these little darlings" and other children of staff and students….

A survey released last May found there were about 1,900 licensed day-care spaces for children under six in the Central Okanagan. That number is equivalent to about 22 per cent of that age group's population.

"For any child under three, it's almost impossible to find (licensed) child care. Even before a child is born, parents are putting their child on day-care waiting lists," Lynn Burgat, executive director of the Kelowna Childcare Society, said when survey results were released.