Families in 22 B.C. school districts will soon have access to about 1,200 new licensed before- and after-school child-care spaces.

The spaces are being created by repurposing existing areas in school buildings, with about $5 million in provincial funding going toward renovations and upgrades.

The Campbell River School District is among those receiving funding.

Georgia Park Elementary will get 30 new school-age child-care spaces.

The province says the new spaces are expected to open over the next year and will help families who have had difficulty finding affordable child care close to home.

“Before and after school can be a hectic time for parents and caregivers. By creating more child care on school grounds, we are giving more families access to convenient, high-quality child care, in places they already know and trust,” said Lisa Beare, Minister of Education and Child Care and acting Minister of Infrastructure.

“Empowering school districts to repurpose existing child-centred spaces for before- and after-school care is another important piece of a child care system that works for families, kids and communities.”

School districts will also receive about $20 million over the next three years to help establish and operate the new programs.

Another $2 million is being provided for startup costs, including staff training, small equipment, and toys.

The province is also making $2.9 million available for school districts to create board-operated school-age care programs.

Funding applications for that program are expected to open this fall.

Families using child-care spaces created through these initiatives may also qualify for reduced fees through the Child Care Fee Reduction Initiative.

The program can reduce school-age child-care costs by as much as 320 dollars per child each month.

To learn more, visit Government of British Columbia.