District Hall remains closed for most in-person visits, while community recreation centres, libraries, facilities, parks, and parking lots are reopening carefully as it becomes safe to do so.
Child care action plan
As part of our ongoing effort to support District families, we are exploring needs and challenges associated with accessing local child care, as a means of providing enhanced child care opportunities for all.
Building on our OCP objective to provide, facilitate, and support the establishment of child care spaces, our new Child Care Action Plan — being developed in consultation with parents, guardians, and child care providers — will offer short, medium, and long term goals and targets designed to foster child care over the next decade.
Draft action plan
A draft of the action plan was completed in early November, 2020, and is available for review. We anticipate presenting the final plan to Council to consider adopting it by the end of 2020.
The draft action plan outlines our four key child care goals and the actions we'll take to achieve them:
- Increase access to child care
- Improve affordability
- Focus on quality
- Strengthen partnerships
The plan includes these appendices as a separate document:
- Key findings from research and promising practices
- Community profile
- Summary of stakeholder consultations
- Community engagement summary report
- Glossary of types of child care
Download the draft action plan
Existing child care policies
Creating safe, healthy environments for all residents is a priority. For children in our community, this includes helping provide quality child care services that give children the opportunity to develop socially, emotionally and intellectually.
Our child care policy outlines the actions that various departments can take to support and enhance child care facilities in the District.
Action plan project timeline
Phase 1 (October, 2019 - November, 2019) — Research and data collection
Review municipal best practices, existing child care spaces, and the child care facility development application process.
Phase 2 (October, 2019 - February, 2020) — Community engagement
Interview child care providers, survey parents and guardians, and hold workshops with stakeholders.
Phase 3 (January, 2020 - March, 2020) — Draft strategy and action plan
Create the draft strategy for Council review.
Phase 4 (April, 2020 - December, 2020) — Final strategy and action plan report
Develop a final draft of the report to be presented to Council for adoption.