Quesnel City Council is applying for more than 1 point 3 million dollars to build a child care facility on Webster Avenue in West Quesnel through the Childcare BC New Spaces Fund.
At Tuesday night’s meeting council was also asked to commit to the facility being operated as a licensed child care center for a minimum of 15 continuous years.
Councilor Martin Runge had a question on how long the Quesnel and District Daycare Society would commit to operating it
“Our partner we’ve been looking at has been in business for forty plus years I think. They’ve committed to five years I’m just worried that we’re stuck with the ten years afterward should she retire or if they’re strong enough to continue on”.
A letter of support was given to council from the Quesnel and District Daycare Society council saying they will commit to a 5-year contract with an extension.
Regarding questions about the remaining ten years, Mayor Bob Simpson said “I think the key consideration that council should take in deciding to manage the risk or not manage the risk if anything, we’re moving on the path of more and more subsidized childcare making childcare more affordable for more people, and I don’t see us deflecting off of that path anytime soon”.
The funding will construct a child care facility with a capacity for 57 child care spaces on Webster Avenue in west Quesnel that Simpson said is only half of what the estimate is of the number of spaces they should be making available as soon as possible.