Child Care Action Plan
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.
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Draft priorities and action items: What do you think?
over 3 years agoThis Ideas process has concluded.The draft Child Care Action Plan identifies four priorities and a list of action items to improve access to high quality, accessible and affordable child care in Penticton. Some highlights are listed below.
Review the full list of draft action items on the Ideas page under the appropriate category. Tell us: Is anything missing? Which ideas do you like best?
1. Increase Access to Child Care
- Set a space creation target of 722 new licenced spaces by 2030.
- The City, Interior Health, School District 67 and Indigenous communities work together to create an inventory of prospective opportunities for child care development. Identify potential land or facilities, vacant spaces or other assets.
- SD67 and the City work to increase the numbers of licenced before and after-school programs.
- Explore the possibility of on-site full day school age care for school Pro D days and school breaks.
- Identify changes to local government processes and regulations for facilitating/developing child care.
- Work with partners to explore and pilot child care that offers longer or more flexible hours.
- Work with Child Care Resource & Referral to establish a centralized child care waitlist to support families.
2. Make Child Care More Affordable
- Work with partners to create an inventory of land or facility spaces.
- Advocate as a community to senior governments to reduce the cost of child care and increase compensation for child care workers.
- Support the local Child Care Resource and Referral Program to enhance the promotion of B.C.’s Affordable Child Care Benefit Program so more families and child care providers are aware of the program.
3. Focus on Quality
- Work with, support, and encourage the non-profit and public sector in developing new facilities to meet the child care space targets.
- Work with School District 67 and Okanagan College to explore a dual credit ECE Program for local high school students to encourage a career and local employment and work with local child care providers to offer ECE Practicums.
4. Strengthen Collaborations and Partnerships
- Explore developing a local Child Care Planning Table that brings together child care providers with support services and other key organizations to focus on child care needs.
- Consider the development of a public education campaign that informs on the needs for child care, the importance of child care to the community, and the actions that are underway to improve the child care situation in Penticton.
SiteAdminover 3 years agoPriority #1: Increase Access to Child Care
Please comment on the following action items within this priority. There are 4 priorities and 30 action items in total. 1. Develop a stand-alone Penticton Child Care Policy, providing a consolidated statement of the City’s vision, goals, strategies and commitments to child care. 2. Endorse the space creation targets of 722 new spaces for Penticton by 2030: • Infant/Toddler: 33% coverage = 131 spaces • Preschooler: 75% coverage = 236 spaces • School Ager: 50% coverage = 355 spaces 3. Work with other Public Partners (i.e. Interior Health, School District 67, local First Nations) to create an inventory of prospective opportunities for child care development by identifying: • potential land or facilities that could be used for child care • underutilized or vacant spaces or land, including schools, parks or crown land that could be repurposed for child care • public assets (buildings and land) that are slated for capital redevelopment 4. Work with School District 67 to increase the numbers of licensed before and after school programs (for children 5 to 9-years-old) on school property, with first priority for Uplands and Carmi schools (as they currently don’t have any child care) and then Queen’s Park and Parkway who both have small numbers of school age spaces, before moving onto the others. • Also explore the possibility of having on-site full day school age care for school professional development days and school breaks including summer at local schools 5. Link child care to Housing Initiatives. This includes the City’s affordable housing strategies, affordable housing plans and other multi-family residential developments • Child care should considered and included where possible in all new family housing 6. Work with public partners, like the School District and the health authority to access Provincial Capital funding to build child care spaces and develop a structured partnership with the Province to replicate the process for multiple programs and sites 7. Identify a staff position(s)* as the child care facilitator/point person with overall responsibility for child care, including but not limited to assisting applicants with City processes and supporting other City staff who are engaged with child care. * This could be a function added onto an existing position. 8. Identify and implement changes to local government processes and regulations for facilitating /developing child care, including alignment with Interior Health Licensing; prioritization of child care in the OCP’s; and review of bylaws as detailed in the Planning Framework and Bylaw Review Report. Examples: • coordinate building/facility inspections between the City and Interior Health to streamline and remove any redundancies • host joint child care development information meetings on a regular basis with Interior Health for people who are interested in opening child care centres to explain the processes and the various jurisdictional roles • eliminate the distinction between major and minor facility categories (i.e., with the exception of RM2 areas, all zones allowing child care to permit both major and minor child care operations) • identify child care as a community amenity • reduce application fees for new or expanded child care operations • review existing Community Grant Program to ensure it supports child care and actively promote the program to the not-for-profit child care sector 9. Update the City’s website to add child care information for providers who are interested in opening spaces and parents who are looking for care: • ensure the information for opening spaces is based on the assumption that applicants have limited prior knowledge (e.g.: a step by step guide to procedures and submission requirements, link to licensing authorities) • provide links to the CCR&R programs and MCFD child care map for parents looking for child care 10. Work with community partners, City recreation and library staff and School District to develop a variety of after-school programs (not licensed child care) that support children aged 10-12 11. Work with the new Community Child Care Planning Table (see recommendation #24) and local Employers (like the Penticton Regional Hospital) to explore and then pilot child care that offers longer hours, non-traditional hours and/or flexible hours. 12. Increase the partnership with the Child Care Resource and Referral program, the Supported Child Care Programs and other community organizations to: • bring child care operators together more regularly for information sharing, joint training and education; with a particular focus on inclusion of children with additional support needs; and • provide more information for parents about accessing child care, especially targeted at more vulnerable populations. (i.e.: lower income families and those with special needs children) 13. Explore the feasibility of establishing and maintaining a centralized child care waitlist to support families who are looking for child care
0 comment1SiteAdminover 3 years agoPriority #4: Strengthen Collaborations and Partnerships
Please comment on the following action items within this priority. There are 4 priorities and 30 action items in total. 24. Explore the development of a local Child Care Action/Planning Table that brings child care providers, support services like supported child care, Interior Health Licensing, family support agencies, the School District and Indigenous Partners together with the City to focus on child care needs and the implementation of the child care action plan 25. Continue to build supportive and learning relationships with First Nations and Indigenous partners to support Indigenous perspectives, history and culturally appropriate and supportive child care in Penticton 26. Build partnerships with the School District around child care to: • Facilitate use of school spaces and grounds for child care operations where possible • Support the Provincial direction toward an enhanced role for the School District regarding school age child care 27. Consider the development of a public education/communication campaign that informs on the needs for child care, the importance of child care to the community, and the actions that are underway to improve the child care situation in Penticton 28. Provide regular briefings to elected officials on the child care situation (City, provincial, federal, and School Board) and commit to offer an orientation on child care after each election to elected officials 29. Recognize and honour the value of child care workers and the child care in the community by supporting Child Care month on an annual basis 30. Coordinated advocacy to senior governments to provide support to the child care sector and families in the following areas, and other priorities that arise: • Ensuring that the needs of Penticton’s children are a priority for new spaces in provincial planning and funding • Recruitment and remuneration of ECE’s • Increased resources to support children with additional needs through the Supported Child Development • Lower fees for families • Funds needed to support non-traditional hours of care
0 comment1SiteAdminover 3 years agoPriority #3: Focus on Quality
Please comment on the following action items within this priority. There are 4 priorities and 30 action items in total. 18. Work with, support, and encourage the non-profit and public sector in developing new facilities to meet the child care space targets 19. Explore feasibility and options for creating guidelines for child care spaces that the City may develop or facilitate (i.e. program mixes, operating expectations like affordable fees, good wages and working conditions) 20. Support the Province in its “Early Care and Learning Recruitment and Retention Strategy” initiative through joint advocacy 21. Work with School District 67 to explore a dual credit ECE Program for local high school students to encourage a career and local employment and work with local child care providers to offer ECE Practicums 22. Develop new partnerships with public post-secondary training institutions to offer local ECE training programs 23. Consider the needs for Early Childhood Educators and child care in a formal Workforce Development or Business and Economic Development Strategy
0 comment1MM57over 3 years agoIncreased hours
Offer extended hours for parents who work shift work or work early/late hours. For example, a daycare located at the hospital could accommodate child care for nurses and other medical workers whose shifts often start/end before daycares are open for drop off or after they are closed.
0 comment2SiteAdminover 3 years agoPriority #2: Make Child Care More Affordable
Please comment on the following action items within this priority. There are 4 priorities and 30 action items in total. 14. If suitable sites are found (through Action #3) then lease local government and public spaces/land to non-profit child care providers at below-market and affordable lease rates; and ensure that the Child Care Operator is offering fees that are as affordable as possible. 15. Monitor child care fees in Penticton 16. Advocate to senior governments to reduce the cost of child care and increase compensation for child care workers 17. Partner with the local Child Care Resource and Referral Program to enhance the promotion of the BC’s Affordable Child Care Benefit Program so that: • More families are aware of the subsidy program that is available • More child care providers are aware of the program and can help parents with the application processes
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Documents
Lifecycle
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Raise awareness (Aug. 10 – ongoing)
Child Care Action Plan has finished this stageWe will inform residents about the work to develop the plan and how local parents, guardians and child care providers can get involved.
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Identify needs (August – September)
Child Care Action Plan has finished this stageInformation about child care needs will be collected from the community through surveys, stakeholder interviews and a virtual workshop.
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Draft plan (September – November)
Child Care Action Plan has finished this stageWorkshops will be held with community partners and providers to confirm the findings and the recommendations.
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Presented to Council (January)
Child Care Action Plan is currently at this stageThe findings and action plan will be shared with City Council.