Kamloops BC – The City of Kamloops and YMCA BC hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 10:00 am on June 3, 2025, to celebrate the grand opening of the YMCA Station Plaza Care and Learning Centre. The centre officially started welcoming families on April 1, 2025, with spaces open to 12 infants/toddlers and 20 children aged 3–5. The new facility addresses a growing need for child care among City employees and families in the broader community.
“It’s incredibly rewarding to see this project come to life. Working together with the City to open this child care centre is a great example of how collaborative partnerships serve community needs. We were thrilled to welcome the first children to this space and are committed to providing them with quality early learning experiences” - Heidi Worthington, President and CEO, YMCA BC.
This new centre is funded through the ChildCareBC New Spaces Fund, which is jointly supported by provincial investments and federal funding provided through the 2021–2022 to 2025–2026 Canada-British Columbia Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement. British Columbia and the federal government recently signed an extension to the agreement for 2026–2027 to 2030–2031.
“Affordable child care isn’t just about saving money. It helps kids learn and grow in a safe place. It gives parents the chance to work, go to school, or reach other goals. And it helps build a stronger economy for everyone. That’s what the Canada-wide early learning and child care program is all about. Congratulations to everyone involved in making this happen for families and kids in Kamloops.” - Patty Hajdu, Canada’s Minister of Jobs and Families
“This new child care centre is such a welcome addition for Kamloops families, especially for the working parents, single parents, and women living and working in the city’s core. We’re grateful for the strong local partnerships that enabled this project, meaning more children to have a safe, inclusive, and high-quality space to learn and grow, while their parents can pursue work, school or other opportunities knowing their kids are in good hands.” - Rohini Arora, BC’s Parliamentary Secretary for Child Care
The project evolved from significant engagement with City employees in 2022, which led to a growing understanding that child care shortages were a barrier to employment and career advancement. An employee needs assessment showed that 45% of respondents with children had issues finding the child care they needed to perform their jobs or adequately manage their lives outside of work.
“We’re thrilled to officially open the doors to this much-needed child care facility. It’s a proud moment that reflects our commitment to supporting our city staff and the community. The centre will make a real difference in the daily lives of our employees and their children.” - Jennifer Howatt, Human Resources and Safety Manager, City of Kamloops
The YMCA has over 150 years of experience providing programs for children and youth and has grown to be the largest provider of not-for-profit licensed child care in Canada. They currently provide child care services at 30 locations throughout Northern and Interior BC, offering programming based on the latest body of knowledge about childhood development combined within the YMCA Playing to Learn curriculum.
