40 Francophone child care spaces coming to Nanaimo
NANAIMO — With waiting lists stretching into the hundreds, child care spaces are at a premium for families all across Nanaimo and the mid-island region. But it’s especially difficult for Francophone families, where there’s only one space in town.
An announcement from the B.C. government hopes to help alleviate the situation.
There will be 40 new Francophone spaces in Nanaimo next year, 16 for children under 5 and the remaining for school-age children. They’ll be built beside école Océane, the only French school operated by B.C.’s Francophone school district, offering before and after school programs.
Marie-Andree Asselin, executive director of the BC Francophone Parents Federation, said she and other parents appreciate the efforts to help Francophone families so far away from Quebec.