Cranbrook city council has approved $150,000 in refundable funding to conduct childcare space planning before submitting a grant application.
Members of city council, the SD5 board and staff from both organizations met with provincial representatives in October to discuss childcare funding.
They learned in that meeting that the province would refund the cost of hiring expertise required to determine spaces, locations, building design and costs for construction.
There is a two-year window for capital grants from the province for the building of new childcare spaces.
City staff said the opportunity to gain new childcare buildings fully grant-funded is unprecedented and the city should act now as the grants may not be available in the future.