NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release 2010CFD0017-000873 July 30, 2010

Ministry of Children and Family Development

 

PENTICTON INDIAN BAND CELEBRATES NEW CHILD-CARE CENTRE

 

PENTICTON – The Penticton Indian Band is celebrating the opening of the brand-new Little Paws Children’s Centre, the first on-reserve child-care centre for the Band, announced Children and Family Development Minister Mary Polak.

 

            The new facility, created with the help of $223,000 in major capital funding previously received from the ministry, brings under one roof 47 child-care and preschool spaces – 37 of which are new – for members of the community.

 

            “B.C. is a leader in the creation of on-reserve child-care spaces. The Little Paws Children’s Centre is a great example of how Aboriginal and First Nation communities in B.C. are bringing new and needed services to their communities,” said Polak. “Having an on-reserve child-care option makes it easier for parents of this Band to work and continue their education, while ensuring their children are being cared for and learning in a culturally-relevant, safe and supportive environment.”

 

            The Penticton Indian Band, a member of the Okanagan Nation, recently constructed a brand-new, purpose-built log building that will accommodate 12 infant/toddler spaces, 25 spaces for 30 months to school-aged, as well as 10 Aboriginal Head Start pre-school spaces, a program previously offered on the reserve and funded by the federal government. The centre plans to offer a morning and afternoon session of preschool, benefiting up to 20 children.

 

            “The opening of this centre is a great moment for us. For many years we have said that children are our greatest resource, and we will remain committed to making education and training a priority for our community,” said Chief Jonathan Kruger. “There have been many important people who have worked very hard to bring this long-awaited and much-needed project to completion. We’re grateful to the ministry, whose financial support was a key piece in this project.”

 

To incorporate First Nation culture into the programming at the centre, children will take part in daily Okanagan language and stories, weekly cultural outdoor days and will benefit from regular visits from Band Elders. The centre is also ensuring that staff members receive cultural training and training in the Okanagan language.

 

            “I’d like to congratulate the members of the Penticton Indian Band for their work in creating a new, family-friendly facility that will serve their community well,” said Penticton MLA Bill Barisoff. “This project has been underway for many years now and it is exciting to see the doors being opened.”

 

Since 2003, nearly $7 million has been invested in capital projects to expand the number of licensed child-care spaces for Aboriginal and First Nations children in British Columbia.

 

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Media Contact:

Christine Ash Media Relations Manager Children and Family Development 250 356-1639 250 812-3616 (cell)

 

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