Penticton elementary schools get funding for 80 new child-care spaces

Four South Okanagan elementary schools will be getting new at-school child-care spaces.

Wiltse Elementary, Parkway Elementary, Uplands Elementary and Giants Head Elementary are the schools getting new child-care spaces through the ChildCareBC New Spaces Fund.

“This is great news for families in Penticton and Summerland. Affordable and accessible child care is important, and the addition of child care on school grounds will make life easier for busy parents,” Okanagan Skaha school board chair James Palanio said.

0:43 Co-operative daycares strengthen communities, ease daycare access woes: entrepreneurship expert

“We’re building a future where affordable, accessible, quality, inclusive child care is a core service that families can rely on, which includes partnering with school districts on single dropoff and pickup locations.”

Non-profit child-care providers partnering with the schools to bring the program include One Sky Community Resources at Wiltse Elementary and Parkway Elementary, the YMCA of Southern Interior BC at Uplands Elementary and BGC Okanagan at Giant’s Head Elementary.

2:02 Rally for childcare crisis solution in Kelowna

Construction on the child-care facilities is anticipated to begin in the spring of 2024 and will provide 80 new child-care spaces at each facility.