The District of Central Saanich has partnered with the municipalities of Sidney, North Saanich, Saanich, Highlands and Oak Bay to develop a community child care inventory and gap analysis.
The six municipalities received a $150,000 grant through the Union of British Columbia Municipalities (UBCM) Community Child Care Planning Program to conduct the analysis. The analysis is expected to wrap up with a final report and action plan by November 2020.
Queenswood Consulting Group will lead a series of workshops and public engagement opportunities to gather information about existing childcare resources in the region. Queenswood will work with direct child care providers and families to understand the challenges and opportunities of providing services.
The following types of child care services will be included in the analysis:
- Group child care (under 36 months to school age)
- Group child care (school age including after school or school closure care)
- Preschool
- Family child care
- Occasional child care
- Multi-age child care
- In-home multi-age care
- Child-minding
The analysis will establish an inventory of existing services and a dynamic action plan aimed at enhancing and expanding services to families in each of the six municipalities. The action plan will recommend ways to provide more daycare spaces in order to reduce travel time for families. Each municipality will support the recommendations in a way that is responsive and sustainable for their community.
Public input opportunities
An online survey is open to all residents of the six municipalities.
An open house will be held at Central Saanich Cultural Centre, Room A, at 1209 Clarke Road. Saturday, February 29, from 10 am - noon. Please drop in!