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Prince George, B.C. – The first ever all ages child care centre to be embedded in a Prince George school will soon open at Lac Des Bois Elementary School.

The YMCA of Northern BC will open the Lac Des Bois Family Development Centre on January 3, 2017 and offer 81 new child care spaces.

It will include 12 spaces for infants and toddlers, 25 spaces for children aged three to five, 24 spaces for school age children and 20 spaces for preschool children.

The Y has billed the new facility as a “one-step shop for child care” allowing parents to pick up their children at one location.

“This structure not only offers an ease to parents, but allows us to foster meaningful relationships with the entire family,” says the Y’s director of Child Care Services Lynette Mikalishen. “Children are able to connect siblings and transition naturally to other programs and to and from school.”

She adds the spots are desperately needed in the city.

“Oh my goodness, right now I know that there are 160 people on a wait list for child care that would begin anywhere in the next 12-18 months. So it’s a huge need in our community.”

Mikalishen says the need is not only exclusive to Prince George, but in communities around the province.

“The infant/toddler spaces require special education and they require a one to four ratio and very honestly, this is not something anybody can make money at.

“It really is more about meeting the needs of the community and the mission pieces of a community and I’m very fortunate to be able to do that through our YMCA umbrella with the support of the school district and Ministry of Children and Family Development dollars.”