The provincial government has converted more than 1,370 child care spaces into the $10 a Day ChildCareBC program, including some in Williams Lake.
32 spaces will be available at the Williams Lake and District Daycare on Second Avenue North.
16 will be for the infant-toddler age, and 16 for those 2 1/2 to kindergarten.
The Ministry of Education and Child Care says the spaces in this program reduce the average cost of child care from $1,000 a month for full-time care to $200.
“It’s mostly a big change for families. Some of our families that have like, two kids in full time daycare, they will save like $1500 over the year.” says Linda Bond, Administrator for the Williams Lake and District Daycare Centre.
The Ministry said more $10-a-day spaces will be created in the next few months.
“We doubled the number of $10-a-day spaces earlier this year and will be nearly doubling yet again by the end of 2022, said Katrina Chen, B.C.’s Minister of State for Child Care. “Affordable child care can be life changing, and we’re one step closer to making that a reality for all families in B.C.”
The Ministry says there are currently approximately 8,200 spaces in the province, and that that total is expected to hit 12,500 by the end of the year.