A new facility offering both child care and community spaces is on the horizon for Elkford.
“This community project brings 28 licensed child care spaces to Elkford and fulfills a great need for affordable, quality child care in our community,” said Kim Bauer, Executive Director of the Elkford Women’s Task Force Society.
The new service will come as a relief to the community after it was left without any options for childcare after its previous facility closed in 2020.
The Elkford Childcare Centre and Community Hub will open in the former municipal office in late 2022, after extensive renovations are completed.
“The lack of child care services in Elkford has presented a challenge to parents for some time,” said Mayor Dean McKerracher. “District staff and council have also been looking for solutions to address the lack of space available for our town’s entrepreneurs, small businesses and nonprofits to operate in. This facility addresses all of these needs—it’s very exciting, and it will be such a tremendous asset for our community.”
Officials with the District of Elkford said the entire project will be funded by grants. One is worth $1,119,352 from the Province’s Childcare BC New Spaces program. Another grant came from Columbia Basin Trust, which gave the project $250,000.
Another grant from the Investing in Canada Infrastructure program is pending, which Elkford officials expect to hear about this summer. This funding will allow for additional, flexible spaces to support small businesses, non-profits and arts and culture.