Richmond got 627 more child-care spaces within the year, but the current supply only covers one-third of the children in Richmond.
The City of Richmond recently wrapped up its 2017-2022 Child Care Needs Assessment and Strategy with a final update, boasting “significant progress” such as reaching 78 per cent of its 10-year plan to provide more than 10,000 licensed child-care spaces in the city, and the opening of early childhood and development hubs last year.
Since the strategy was put in place in 2017, the city saw a 44-per-cent increase in child care spaces with a total of 2,535 new spaces, including almost 1,000 for infants and toddlers under the age of three.
City council also recently approved child-care grants totalling up to $60,000 for capital items and professional development.
However, there is still a long way to go.
“Despite significant growth in the number of child care spaces in Richmond, demand for child care continues to exceed the available supply with spaces currently available for only 35.6 per cent of the children in Richmond,” reads a recent city staff report.
This month, the city is recognizing the contributions of those working in the sector by proclaiming May as Child Care Month and celebrating with a series of activities.
The city recently held a professional development symposium for early-childhood educators to kick off the celebration, and creations by kids at local child care programs are being showcased on the Community Art Wall at Brighouse library from now until May 31.
The city is also hosting a child care workshop and dinner on May 23. Tickets are sold out but a waitlist is available online.
The city is in the process of creating a new 10-year strategy for child care initiatives and activities in Richmond, which will involve consultation with local families, child care providers and the broader community. To learn more about child care in Richmond, click here.
