A ribbon-cutting ceremony featured children in the current childcare program at Little Oysters, as well as Mid-Island Pacific Rim MLA Josie Osborne, and Qualicum First Nation’s Chief Michael Recalma. (Jeannie Lin / CHLY 101.7 FM)

One of the new classrooms on the second floor of the building. (Jeannie Lin / CHLY 101.7 FM)

Families in Fanny Bay and the surrounding area now have access to 44 new licensed childcare spaces.

Beachcombers Academy and Little Oysters Child Care opened the new spaces on September 10 with a ribbon cutting ceremony.

The new spaces at the independent school, located along the Island Highway, are dedicated to Little Oysters Child Care, which provides all-day care for children aged 30 months and older. The building also houses Beachcomber Academy, which offers small-sized classrooms for students from kindergarten to grade seven.

Zoe Lambert is the president of Beachcombers Education Society, the nonprofit that operates the academy and the childcare centre.

“Beachcombers Academy and Little Oysters Childcare is very much a community-based project, we’re a non-profit. This is our fifteenth year of operation, and so being able to have the capacity for the children and families who wanna attend has been really important for us. But also to provide that childcare for families and to provide really high quality childcare,” said Lambert.

Lambert said the new facility at Little Oysters will provide more than basic child care. She said that creating an engaging and fun learning environment is important for a child’s brain development up until the age of five, and that these early learning experiences can have impacts on their long term cognitive and academic development.

“You know, we do early literacy, early numeracy program, but also lots of play-based learning, lots of creative arts, coastal science explorations, so it's a really fun, enriched program for our littlest ones,” said Lambert.

Chief Michael Recalma of Qualicum First Nation gave opening remarks at the ceremony. (Jeannie Lin / CHLY 101.7FM)

The expansion was funded through the provincial ChildCareBC New Spaces Fund, with support from federal funding under the Canada-British Columbia Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement.

In June, the Minister of Jobs and Families announced up to $5.4 billion in new funding over the next two years to help keep childcare costs affordable for families across Canada.

The Little Oysters expansion has been three years in the making and the upgrade includes new classrooms with large windows featuring ocean views and an expanded outdoor deck.

“It's been probably a three-year process altogether. And of course, we couldn't have done it without the support of Childcare Spaces BC childcare funding. The province and the federal government have been really wonderful in prioritizing childcare, and it has made a huge difference at the ground level for families, not just in terms of increasing spaces, but also reducing the cost of childcare for families,” said Lambert.

Lambert said the education society is also involved in discussions around childcare policy at the provincial level.

“We're very much involved at the provincial level around childcare issues. And as a member of the Federation of Independent School Associations, we've been working, developing a childcare committee, provincially. And so it has been really rewarding to be able to have input with the government around childcare policy. So although we are a very small school in a rural community, we are having an impact at the provincial level, and we're really excited about that work, and excited to see changes, positive changes happening for childcare in the province,” said Lambert.

Lambert said the project is an example of what can happen when a community works together.

“I really believe strongly, you know, we are a nonprofit, but it's in our world today, what we are able to accomplish when we work positively together as a community is extraordinary. And there are so many people that have been involved in this project over the years, and it is possible to do good things, make stronger, healthier, more vibrant communities when we work together and come to the table every day with that kindness and listening,” said Lambert.

Little Oysters Child Care is now accepting registrations and is encouraging parents to register early, at Beachcombersschool.ca.

Funding Note: This story was produced with funding support from the Local Journalism Initiative, administered by the Community Radio Fund of Canada.

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