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Seamless Day Kindergarten pilot program expands to Thompson-Okanagan

Kindergarten pilot expands

Cindy White - Oct 18, 2021 / 2:33 pm | Story: 348957

Photo: Contributed

The B.C. government is expanding its Seamless Day Kindergarten pilot program to several more schools.

It’s being introduced at another 21 schools in the province, including in the Central Okanagan School District (SD 23), the Vernon School district (SD 22) and the Kamloops-Thompson School District (SD 73).

The pilot program is currently in place at four B.C. schools: Oliver Elementary (SD 53 - Okanagan-Similkameen), West Sechelt Elementary (SD 46 - Sunshine Coast School District), Hollyburn Elementary (SD 45 - West Vancouver School District) and Errington Elementary (SD 69 - Qualicum School District).

"This program gives children continuity throughout the day on their learning journey. Access to quality, inclusive care and early learning is critical in supporting parents, particularly mothers, to pursue career or education goals while being confident that their kids are being cared for,” said Jennifer Whiteside, Minister of Education.

Certified early childhood educators provide before- and after-school care in kindergarten classrooms and work with the classroom teacher to offer learning support. The program makes use of existing classrooms, outside of school hours, and does not require new rooms or buildings.

"Too many parents still don't have access to the before- and after-school care they need," said Katrina Chen, Minister of State for Child Care. "Using existing classrooms means we can create new spaces quickly, and it will make it easier for busy parents to get to work and have peace of mind knowing their kids are cared for and learning, all in one spot."

It will be up to each school district to decide which schools to designate for the test run.

The other sites joining the pilot program include: