Thanks to the work of regional public and private organizations, more childcare facilities are now available to more families in Central Saanich.
The district has maintained and grown its childcare facilities since implementing the Child Care Action Plan in 2020 and more are currently being developed.
“As a mom of a toddler, I know first-hand how difficult it is to find care and how stressful it is for families to not be able to find suitable care,” said Emilie Gorman, district director of corporate services and member of Central Saanich’s Childcare Working Group, which is leading the plan’s implementation.
The Child Care Action Plan helped provide the district with a map of the types of childcare needed in the community.
Three centres have opened thus far: Kidspace Learning Centres kept 25 of the old spaces for young children and added 12 more for toddlers when the former Moose Hall on East Saanich was redeveloped; the Saanich School District's SESISEJ Childcare Centre, run by Beacon Community Services, opened in 2024 and can accommodate up to 84 children; and Just Peachy Child Care, a converted caretaker's home in Centennial Park, offers care for 17 toddlers.
Furthermore, the district is currently developing two daycare centres. One is located at the Saanich Fairgrounds and the other is at 1183 Verdier, where, with funding approved, a 2,000-square-foot daycare for up to 16 children will be built as part of the Capital Region Housing Corporation's proposed development.
“We're proud to contribute to shaping children's early years which are critical for cognitive, emotional and social growth,” said Claire Meadmore of Just Peachy. “We are grateful for the partnership and support that made our new childcare centre possible."
The district estimates that 20 per cent of all households, or 1,500 households, have children under the age of 14 and that there are 17 licensed spaces for every 100 children aged 12 and under. In 2020, an estimated 1,000 children were in need of childcare space. School-age children had the greatest need and for children ages three to five, only an estimated 45 per cent of the spaces were available.
According to Central Saanich Mayor Ryan Windsor, the council is pleased to assist local families and children, even though childcare is not the local government's responsibility.
“We are thankful for the partnerships with childcare providers and the willingness of developers to help create more spaces in Central Saanich,” he said.
Together, Central Saanich, Highlands, North Saanich, Oak Bay, Saanich and Sidney gathered in 2020 to carry out a gap analysis, childcare inventory and create local action plans using funds provided by the provincial government via the Union of B.C. Municipalities.
The district says the opening of these childcare facilities is anticipated to give families more childcare options, shorten waiting lists and give parents the peace of mind to pursue career or educational opportunities. Employment opportunities are also anticipated to increase for early childhood educators in the area.
