By NLPS staff
NLPS was pleased to host Minister of Education and Child Care, Lisa Beare at McGirr Elementary on August 31 for the announcement that approximately 1,200 new before- and after-school child care spaces on school grounds will open across BC this year!
Here in Nanaimo-Ladysmith- our before and after school childcare will grow to 20 programs this year thanks to investment from the province. That’s up from just five before- and after-school programs a few years ago.
Departure Bay Elementary, Mountain View Elementary, Ecole Quarterway Elementary, Frank J. Ney Elementary, syuwenct Elementary, Forest Park Elementary, and McGirr Elementary will all see 24 school-age spaces. Ecole Hammond Bay Elementary will see 15 spaces.
As our Board of Education Chair, Leanne Lee shared at the event, “Investing in before- and after-school child care at schools helps parents and caregivers balance work and family responsibilities and creates more opportunities in our schools for children to belong, grow and thrive.”
Mitchell Brooke, a before- and after-school child care parent in our school district, said that as a parent, the continuity for his child has been quite remarkable.
“The relationships (my daughter) has built with the before- and after-school care teachers has been really incredible as well,” he said. “As a parent, I’m glad to see that its expanding and that other parents are going to have the same opportunity that we’ve been given.”