SD72 Breaks Ground on New Child Care Sites

The district has awarded a contract to Qualifast Contracting Ltd. for the construction of seven new before- and after-school childcare centres at Ocean Grove, Ripple Rock, Cedar, Pinecrest, Sandowne, Georgia Park and Quadra Elementary Schools.

With an aim to increase access to quality licensed childcare for working families in Campbell River and on Quadra Island this project comes at a cost of over $6 million, making it the largest construction project in the district since the construction of Ripple Rock Elementary School, which opened in 2005.

The Ministry of Education and Child Care announced the funding to allow School District 72 to create these 210 new licensed childcare spaces in April of 2022.

These before- and after-school spaces will open in September and construction work is first beginning at Ocean Grove, Quadra, Cedar, and Ripple Rock. With such a tight timeline, construction of all seven centres will not be complete by September, but the centres will still open in an alternate, temporary location within the schools.

Children must attend the school to be considered for out-of-school care, and the centres will be staffed by school district educational assistants.

"We are thrilled to be able to provide such an important resource for our families," says Philip Cizmic, interim superintendent for School District 72. "Access to quality childcare is crucial for working families, and we are confident that these new childcare centres will serve as a tremendous resource for years to come."

"Co-locating childcare on school grounds will make life easier for busy parents in and around Campbell River. Keeping students in one place for the entire day will also make for smooth transitions to and from school and daycare for the children," said Michele Babchuk, MLA for North Island. "By working with our school district partners, we're creating childcare where families have told us it's needed, and building a future where access to affordable, quality, inclusive childcare is a core service families can depend on."

SD72 looks forward to welcoming children and families to the centres in September.