Port Alberni receives provincial funding for inclusive child care

Children in Port Alberni are set to benefit from more inclusive child care, following a funding announcement from the provincial government.

The Port Alberni Association for Community Living and the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council are two of 83 organizations across the province that will be sharing $30 million in funding over the next three years to expand and enhance their Supported Child Development (SCD) and Aboriginal Supported Child Development (ASCD) programming for children with extra support needs.

SCD includes one-on-one help for children who need assistance, information and training for child care staff and resources for families to link them to support groups and medical services in the community. ASCD programs offer SCD services within a cultural model, so that Indigenous children with extra support needs can be included meaningfully in child care programs while also learning about their heritage and culture.

This funding is part of the B.C. government's Early Learning and Child Care (ELCC) agreement with the federal government.

Mid Island-Pacific Rim MLA Scott Fraser welcomed the new funding announcement on Monday, Oct. 29.

"Too many families in Port Alberni are struggling to find quality, affordable childcare — particularly if their children require specialized care," said Fraser in a press release. "With this funding, we are helping child care operators increase their capacity so that they can better provide the specialized care that families so desperately need."