New childcare spaces will be on the way, as a new childcare centre is coming to North Island College’s Comox Valley campus.
This centre will be an expansion of the Beaufort Childcare centre, with the province investing a total of $14.2 million into the project.
Along with bringing more classroom space for the college’s early childhood care and education programs, the new centre will bring a total of 75 new childcare spaces to those in need.
Laurie Tulloch, Department Chair for Early Childhood care and education says both students and faculty can’t come to study or work if there is no childcare.
“Childcare has been a barrier for a long time, we have 54 spaces here at the North Island College’s Comox Valley campus but that’s not enough,” said Tulloch.
“So adding 75 additional spaces is going to take a big chunk of that out, as well as provide more opportunities for our students to learn how to be early childhood educators.”
This project comes after the 2019 Comox Valley Child Care Action Plan found that childcare access is a big concern for families and providers, with hopes that the new centre will help with the waitlist pressures for the Beaufort Centre.
While the Beaufort centre will still be open during the expansion, construction of the new centre is set for Spring next year.
They plan on opening the new centre in the fall of 2025.
