The executive director of the West Coast Child Care Resource Centre says a financial boost from the City of Vancouver for child care providers has come at just the right time.
Pam Preston says she was at the city council meeting when it was decided a $5-million surplus from the 2012 budget would be allocated to childcare.
She says it was a pleasant surprise.
“I knew that they had been looking at the future of the child care reserve fund, and it did look that there wasn’t going to be enough money to continue it. So the $5 million topping it up really does give this fund some longevity going into the future.”
Preston says the reserve fund helps new centres by giving them $2,000 per space to get going, and subsidizes infant and toddlers fees by 11 per cent.
She says the city's joint child care council is on track to have 500 new care spaces by next year.