The first little hands have played with the dolls and blocks inside the new Mahon Park childcare centre, which will soon be full of playful minds and their educators.
On Wednesday, the City of North Vancouver unveiled the new 37-space childcare centre, which will be operated by YMCA-BC. Above the centre, on the upper floor of the newly constructed fieldhouse, are six individual public washrooms, two change rooms and an outdoor covered pavilion.
Both the childcare centre and public amenities are set to open in August.
Accessible, high-quality childcare is central to the livability of the community and the well-being of residents, said Linda Buchanan, North Vancouver City mayor.
“It supports the health development of children, gives working parents peace of mind, and strengthens the local economy. That’s why we’re committed to partnering with senior levels of government and outstanding operators like the YMCA to deliver these much-needed spaces,” she said.
The total $9.5 million price tag for the project includes $2.7 million from the province and $125,000 from the North Vancouver sports advisory council.
Hard-working families will benefit immensely from access to high-quality childcare, said Rohini Arora, parliamentary secretary for childcare.
“The opening of this new childcare site means working parents, single parents, and especially women are in a safe, supportive environment close to home,” she said.
Monthly childcare will cost $850 to $1,020 at new centre
In 2021, the City of North Van adopted its childcare action plan, pledging to build 1,000 new licensed childcare spaces in 10 years. According to the city, this project brings the total new spaces to 211 over the past four years – 53 this year alone.
Current spaces at the new centre haven’t quite filled yet, and there are around 500 younger children on the wait list, a YMCA spokesperson said. The monthly cost for parents will be $1,020 for kids under 36 months old, and $850 for three-to-five-year-olds.
Apart from the childcare, the city said the public amenities in the fieldhouse help to realize the municipality's ongoing commitment to capital investments that enhance livability and accessibility.
When the change rooms open, they will be included with bookings of the adjacent Fen Burdett field via North Vancouver Recreation and Culture Commission. The covered pavilion will also be bookable through the NVRC website.
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