Child Care Assessment Action Plan

Due to the known crossover in child care within the Central Okanagan communities of Kelowna, Lake Country, Peachland and West Kelowna, representatives from these local governments came together to conduct a needs assessment across the region. The report below highlights the project findings after engaging with over 630 parents, caregivers, child care providers and other stakeholders. As we look to increase the number of child care spaces within the Central Okanagan over the next ten years, systemic child care challenges must also be considered; a multi-dimensional, community approach is required to improve child care in the region and to create transformational change.

Peachland's Child Care Challenges include:

• Peachland families travel between 10 and 20 kilometers to access care.
• Peachland is the only jurisdiction where most parents and caregivers (88%) travel outside of their community for care.
• Peachland will need an average of 6 new spaces per year over the next 10 years to meet a target of 70 spaces for children ages 0 to 5 by 2030.
• Peachland will need an average of 36 new spaces per year over the next 10 years to meet a target of 417 spaces for children ages 6 to 12 by 2030.

CARE FOR OUR KIDS - A collaborative approach to understanding child care in the Central Okanagan

• Care for Our Kids - Report & Recommendations
• Care for Our Kids - Engagement Summary