The Greater Victoria School District says it鈥檚 creating 316 school-based childcare spaces.
The district has already built four childcare studios at Frank Hobbs and Doncaster Elementary, and plans to open another five in early 2021 at Macaulay, Tillicum and Victoria West elementaries.
Frank Hobbs and Doncaster Elementary each have two studios, which offer before- and after-school care, preschool or full-time care for children ages 30 months to school age.
All studios have an office space, full kitchen and three washrooms and include a wheelchair lift for accessibility. The additional childcare spaces are expected to be completed in January 2021.
鈥淲e have heard clearly from our community that accessible childcare is a priority for families,鈥� said board chair Jordan Watters, adding early learning programs help youth develop cognitive and social skills that prepare them for success in the classroom and in life.
Watters said that, in addition to helping children transition into school, childcare that is provided at school sites assists working families with getting their children to and from school while managing busy schedules.
The childcare studios are being built in-house by district CUPE employees with funding from the Ministry of Children and Family Development. The district applied for funding in 2018 and secured support for the expansion of childcare spaces at school sites across five different municipalities: Esquimalt, Oak Bay, Saanich, Victoria and View Royal.