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Reminder: ChildCareBC New Spaces Fund is Open Until August 2

The 2024-25 ChildCareBC New Spaces Fund opened on May 15, 2024. Applications will be accepted until August 2, 2024.

The ChildCareBC New Spaces Fund has been instrumental in creating thousands of new licensed child care spaces throughout B.C., improving access to child care for families who want affordable, quality, inclusive and culturally safe child care.

The fund is available for Indigenous governing entities; local governments; public bodies, including health authorities, boards of education, public post-secondary institutions and crown corporations; not-for-profits and Indigenous not-for-profits; First Nations schools and other eligible independent schools to apply for space creation funding. Eligible applicants apply for funding through the ChildCareBC New Spaces Fund application process.

Before applying to the New Spaces Fund, applicants are encouraged to consult with local First Nations on their plans. This is one way to engage to support development of projects that serve all members of the community and an opportunity to initiate or strengthen relationships with First Nations governments on whose territory the space is to be developed.

School districts also request child care space creation funding through the New Spaces Fund. As of April 2024, school districts use the Capital Asset Planning System (CAPS) to submit their project requests alongside their K-12 capital planning. School Districts can refer to the Capital Plan Instructions for information and important timelines.

To help ensure fair and equitable access to major capital funding, public sector and school district requests will be considered alongside the New Spaces Fund. The ministry will review requests, select projects and notify applicants if they have been selected to move forward. Unsuccessful applicants will also be notified.

We know that improving access for B.C. families requires long-term sustainable growth that aligns with the capacity of the sector’s workforce to deliver these important services. Learn more about how government is taking action to recruit and retain early childhood professionals and lift up the child care sector on the Support for Early Childhood Professionals web page.

Public sector and school district applicants with questions about child care operational planning and programming can contact the Child Care Development Support team at ccdevsupport@gov.bc.ca. School districts with questions about the process or capital concept development can contact their Regional Director and Planning Officer team.