Tla’amin Nation has received funding for two child-care projects that will provide funding for 151 spaces.
Carmen Galligos, project manager for Tla’amin Nation, said Tla’amin is actively working toward expanding its number of child care spaces in the community.
“We recognize this as a high priority in our community planning,” said Galligos. “Our nation is growing at a fast pace, with the majority of our population being young people and young families. Our goal is to be able to provide care for all of our chi-chuy (children). Caring for our children in our own community gives us the opportunity to pass along traditional teachings and keep our ayajuthum (language) alive.
Galligos said about half of the spaces will be in the new child-care centre next to the existing child resource development centre.
“This will include space for younger children as well as a family drop-in centre for all,” said Galligos. “Additional spaces will be geared towards older children in after-school care, and this will be in a new building adjacent to our nation’s soccer field. We are extremely motivated to make this project a success so that we can invest in our children and youth.”
Galligos said the child care spaces will become active when the projects’ construction is completed. Both projects are still in the design phase, so Tla’amin does not have a start-up date for the programs.
Galligos said as with the current child development resource centre program, there will also be spaces for non-Tla’amin children.
According to a media release from the province, families in 35 communities will soon have access to thousands of quality, licensed child-care spaces as the province marks a new milestone in its Childcare BC plan.
Since July 2020, when the province announced a child-care milestone of nearly 16,800 new licensed spaces funded through Childcare BC programs, an additional 3,634 new licensed child-care spaces have been funded through the New Spaces Fund. Since July 2018, the province has funded about 780 new spaces each month on average.
