Child Care Action Plan

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin Email this link

Consultation has concluded

The City is developing a community plan to improve access to high quality, accessible and affordable child care in Penticton. As part of this process, we asked parents, caregivers and child care providers to provide feedback.

Data was collected through surveys, stakeholder interviews and a workshop with child care providers. Additionally, information on existing child care spaces was collected to create an inventory to assess current and future needs. The information gathered is still being analyzed. The complete findings will be provided as part of the report anticipated in January.

You can sneak-a-peek at the first action plan items have been submitted to the City as part of the development of the draft Child Care Action Plan.

Council endorsed the Child Care Action Plan at their meeting on January 19 and directed staff to work with the partner agencies to implement it. Thank you to everyone who participated in this process.

The City is developing a community plan to improve access to high quality, accessible and affordable child care in Penticton. As part of this process, we asked parents, caregivers and child care providers to provide feedback.

Data was collected through surveys, stakeholder interviews and a workshop with child care providers. Additionally, information on existing child care spaces was collected to create an inventory to assess current and future needs. The information gathered is still being analyzed. The complete findings will be provided as part of the report anticipated in January.

You can sneak-a-peek at the first action plan items have been submitted to the City as part of the development of the draft Child Care Action Plan.

Council endorsed the Child Care Action Plan at their meeting on January 19 and directed staff to work with the partner agencies to implement it. Thank you to everyone who participated in this process.

Consultation has concluded
  • Council endorses much needed childcare action plan

    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin Email this link
    CLOSED: This discussion has concluded.

    Penticton City Council has taken an important step forward in improving local childcare by endorsing a plan identifying opportunities the City and its partners can take to increase the number of childcare spaces available, while also increasing the affordability of childcare overall. Specific actions to be undertaken include:

    • coordinating information sessions with Interior Health, the Penticton Fire Department and City departments to host workshops to help interested parties open a child care centre;
    • advocating to other orders of government the need to reduce the cost of child care; and
    • working with the school district and Okanagan College to explore training programs for prospective early childhood educators.

    Before presenting the action plan to Council during their January 19 meeting, City staff worked with the Social Planning and Research Council of British Columbia to conduct various feedback opportunities including surveys, interviews, workshops and one-to-one engagements with families, parents, childcare providers and community partners. The plan endorsed by Council was the result of approximately 500 individuals participating in these conversations. Key feedback included:

    • of the families who took part in the survey, 83 per cent indicated that it’s hard to find childcare in Penticton;
    • 81 per cent of the participating childcare centres indicated they have a waitlist of at least six months; and
    • businesses indicated that the lack of childcare is hampering their growth and ability to recruit and retain new employees.

    “I’d like to thank everyone who participated their ideas and time to make this action plan possible”, said Penticton Mayor, John Vassilaki. “We still have a way to go as a community before the challenges that parents face around childcare are successfully solved, but thanks to the development of this plan and the actions it sets out for the City and its partners to complete, I hope to start seeing progress very soon in terms of more available space and more affordability.”