Photo: Castanet

The City of Kamloops says its new 36-space child care centre is moving ahead, with more than $416,000 secured for the facility through a government grant.

The Lorne Street Child Care Centre is located at 510 Lorne St., and will include 12 spaces for infants and toddlers, and 24 spaces for kids ages 3 to 5. It will be operated by the YMCA.

In a news release issued Wednesday, the city said spots will be available to the public in both age categories, and encouraged interested families to join the waitlist immediately.

“With the ChildCareBC New Spaces Fund, offering access to child care is now a cost-effective way for the city to maintain and attract the workforce we need to provide core services to Kamloops residents,” said Jennifer Howatt, the city’s human resources and safety director, in a statement.

“The city remains committed to supporting chid care accessibility and looks forward to welcoming families to this much-anticipated facility.”

The city first announced its intention to establish a daycare for the kids of municipal employees, and members of the general public in April of 2024. An anticipated grand opening was scheduled for Aug. 1.

In September, the city announced it was ending its agreement with the non-profit initially selected to operate the facility. YMCA BC was selected as the new operator, a decision announced in February.

“The city has taken the time necessary to ensure a strong partnership is in place to provide high-quality child care services,” the city statement said.

An official opening date hasn’t yet been confirmed. The city said this will depend on licensing, and the date “should be known and communicated in the coming weeks.”

Lynette Mikalishen, YMCA BC director, child care service, said the association was “thrilled” to be opening the much-needed facility.

YMCA is the largest provider of not-for-profit licensed child care in Canada.

“We are prepared to bring our wealth of experience, highly trained staff, unique curriculum and community assign to providing a safe and comfortable environment where children can learn and grow,” Mikalishen said.