B.C. adds 640 new child-care spaces in schools, giving families affordable, safe, and accessible care with strong federal-provincial support.
B.C. Expands Child-Care Spaces in Surrey Schools
Community Gathers to Mark Milestone
At Ta’Talu Elementary in South Surrey, families, educators, and politicians came together Thursday to celebrate the launch of new child-care spaces on school grounds. Children played nearby as Semiahmoo First Nation Chief Harley Chappell offered a blessing and explained the school’s gifted SENĆOŦEN-language name, Ta’Talu, meaning “little arms.”
Province-Wide Child-Care Growth
B.C.’s Minister of Education and Child Care, Lisa Beare, announced that families in 12 communities will benefit from 640 new spaces, bringing the total number of provincially funded child-care spots to 156,000. She emphasized affordability, noting that average daily fees have dropped from $47 to $19 since 2017.
Local Benefits for Families
At the South Surrey event, parents highlighted how on-site care reduces stress for working families. Adriana Arango, whose child attends Ta’Talu Child Care Centre, praised the convenience of a single drop-off location and the early connection children form with their future schools.
Federal and Provincial Investment
Federal Secretary of State for Children and Youth Anna Gainey and South Surrey–White Rock MP Ernie Klassen both underscored the long-term benefits of affordable child care. Klassen pointed out that more than 41,000 new spaces have been funded in B.C. since 2018, part of a nationwide program that now benefits nearly 900,000 children.
Financial Commitment to Schools
The province invested $23.5 million through the ChildCareBC New Spaces Fund to help school districts create these new facilities. Surrey school board chair Gary Tymoschuk said the investment will strengthen the community by ensuring safe, welcoming spaces for children close to home.
A Step Toward Universal Child Care
Officials stressed that these new spaces are part of a broader effort to make high-quality, affordable care available to every community in B.C. “When we invest in children, we invest in the future of Canada,” Klassen told the crowd.
