Sixth Tri-Cities child care facility joins $10-a-day program

This Coquitlam development centre is now offering $10-a-day child care

Step Learning Together is now the sixth facility in the Tri-Cities to transition to the provincial program that hopes to ease financial stress for local families.

stepbystepchilddevelopmentsocietycoquitlam

The Step By Step Child Development Society in Coquitlam has 71 spaces available for $10-a-day child care, according to the B.C. government.Step By Step Child Development Society

A sixth child care facility in the Tri-Cities has made the switch to B.C.'s $10-a-day program in hopes of lifting some financial hardship on local families.

The Step Learning Together Centre in Coquitlam (960 Lillian St.) is the latest to join the joint-government initiative and is set to offer 71 spaces, according to a government release on Tuesday (Jan. 3).

This includes 40 for school-aged children and 31 for kids aged 2.5 years to kindergarten.

Located on the Burquitlam border, the Step By Step Child Development Society's non-profit centre is said to provide an "inclusive atmosphere" and active opportunities for kids with special needs.

Its website states services are catered to children with "one or more medical needs, behaviour challenges or were at risk for developmental delay due to socio-economic or other environmental issues."

Step Learning Together Centre was one of 22 to recently make the transition to B.C.'s $10-a-day child care program for a total of 1,375 new spaces across the province, applying for the initiative before the Aug. 18, 2022, deadline.

"Affordable child care can be life-changing, and with these new $10-a-day spaces, we continue our work to make life more affordable for families with more spaces converted in the next few weeks," said Grace Lore, B.C.'s Minister of State for Child Care, in a statement, noting the estimated savings for the average family is around $800 a month per child.

"The recent child care savings and the $10 a Day ChildCareBC program are some of the ways we are making child care more affordable and allowing parents — especially mothers — to pursue opportunities and achieve financial independence and security, which benefits families, our communities and the economy as a whole."

Lore added the province hopes to have a total of 12,500 child care spaces by February.

There are 313 child care centres in Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, Port Moody and Anmore, and, according to the province, 152 of them have spaces available.

However, none are part of the $10-a-Day ChildCareBC program — is a partnership between the B.C. government and the federal government through the Canada Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement.

The regional facilities participating include the following (in alphabetical order):

Coquitlam

Hami's Playhouse Infant and Toddler (sole proprietor)
- 1158 Hansard Cres.
- Under 36 months
Kid's Cottage Daycare Society (not-for-profit)
- 2601 Lougheed Hwy.
- Under 36 months
- Ages three to five
- School age
Shining Star Daycare (not-for-profit)
- 2665 Runnel Dr.
- Under 36 months
- 30 months to school age
- School age
- Preschool
Step Together Learning Centre (not-for-profit)
- (960 Lillian St.)
- Ages three to five
- School Age