Next child care facility?
Photo: City of Penticton
Penticton City Council will decide on whether to move forward with developing a new child care facility centre at Bugaboo University on Tuesday.
Back in May, council issued an Expression of Interest to identify a potential partner to work on expanding Bugaboo University into a licensed and larger child care centre.
City staff are returning with a Memorandum of Understanding with the YMCA of the Southern Interior of BC, establishing the partnership between the YMCA and the City in the development of a child care centre within the Community Centre.
Council will need to approve the MOU to move forward with the plan’s next steps, which include finalizing a design, determining construction costs and submitting grant applications to the province.
The shortages in childcare spaces in Penticton have been evident in the community, with Penticton’s Child Care Action Plan report suggesting that the city will require at least 722 net new spaces over the next ten years, to meet demand by 2030.
The Edmonton Avenue Child Care Facility is set to open sometime in the fall of 2022 in Penticton.
Staff are recommending that council support the signing of the MOU to help the project move forward, given that it will “positive impact for Penticton businesses and families by having more child care options in the community.”
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