Downtown Eastside daycare saved from closure
City council approves $42k child-care grant for the Phil Bouvier Family Centre Daycare
A Downtown Eastside daycare slated to close this month has been saved after getting funding from the City of Vancouver and a local non-profit.
In early June, the Vancouver Native Health Society announced the closure of the Phil Bouvier Family Centre Daycare, citing financial hardship. The move upset parents and prompted the province and the city to intervene.
City council announced a $42,000 child-care grant Tuesday for the daycare, which has 49 spaces. The money includes an annual grant, as well as transitional funding, which the city will share with Central City Foundation.
"Making sure that families have access to affordable child care is a key priority for the city and we, therefore, shared the concerns of parents over the closure notice of the Phil Bouvier Family Centre Daycare," said Sandra Singh, the city's general manager of arts, culture and community services in a statement.
The not-for-profit daycare opened in Strathcona in 2008 and is one of only two First Nations-focused child-care centres in downtown Vancouver.
The city says the funding will ensure the child-care spaces will remain open until new provincial initiatives are implemented in September.