Time to have your say on childcare needs in the Central Okanagan

KELOWNA – Now that school is back in session, parents can start sounding off about their childcare concerns in the Central Okanagan.

Childhoodconnections.ca – the website for the Okanagan Family and Childcare Society – will have an online survey up and running within a couple of weeks, Tom Clark, the City of Kelowna’s community recreation coordinator told iNFOnews.ca Friday, Sept. 6.

The survey will be one form of public input on a $97,300 study of childcare needs in the four Central Okanagan municipalities, Westbank First Nations and Okanagan Indian Band.

Kelowna was joined by Peachland, Lake Country and West Kelowna in applying for the provincial grant in January. Each B.C. municipality was entitled to apply for up to $25,000 but they decided to join forces since childcare issues in the Central Okanagan aren’t confined by city boundaries.

The two First Nations declined to join in the initial effort but after being approached again, they have members on the steering committee.

The grant was awarded a couple of months ago, a consultant (Urban Matters) has been hired. The study needs to be done by March of next year.

To contact a reporter for this story, email Rob Munro or call 250-808-0143 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.

We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above.