More child care spaces are on the agenda at local schools.
The Vernon School District (SD22) has been participating (along with West Vancouver and Peace River North district) in a project that will serve to inform the Ministry of Education and Child Care on policies, funding, and processes with respect to all levels of child care on school grounds.
This is a result of the $2.4 million grant secured to facilitate the development of child care on school grounds.
Already this year, SD22 has grown from one ministry-funded Seamless Day program and four StrongStart programs in 2021/22 and 2022/23 to two Seamless Day programs that are filled to capacity and have had to be doubled in terms of licensed spaces and one Just Be 4 program.
The district opened one after school program at BX Elementary that had to be doubled before it started in September, four preschool programs, in addition to opening four new child care modulars “offering after school care at our four most vulnerable communities,” according to Supt. Christine Perkins.
Now SD22 is anticipating opening two more after school programs in two more communities in the upcoming year based on community need and viability.
It is also in the process of securing funding and building two very significant new child care spaces on school grounds that will provide child care spaces for infant/toddler and ages three-to-five child care, operated by the district’s Early Learning and Child Care (ELCC) team.
“We are leading the way for inclusion as a component of supporting child care on school grounds – particularly in the school age care programs where community and students of diverse needs are prioritized for child care services within the catchment area of the program,” said assistant superintendent Katherine Oviatt. “This is groundbreaking work that is a challenge for families and districts across the province and is currently serving our children and families in SD22.”
SD22’s leading innovative practices have been highlighted at the provincial level.
In fact, the assistant deputy minister and members of the Ministry of Education team have been touring the district this week to understand what Vernon is doing in ELCC as well as Indigenous education.
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