COQUITLAM, B.C., March 1, 2024 – Coquitlam’s award-winning Child Care Partnership Strategy has facilitated more than 680 new child care spaces that are "in-stream" or at various stages of the development approvals process, but now faces uncertainty due to changes in provincial legislation.
Adopted in December 2021, Coquitlam’s Child Care Partnership Strategy leverages tools historically available to municipalities – such as developer fees and incentives – to support the delivery of new spaces and quality child care. It earned Coquitlam a Silver Medal for Excellence in Policy Planning in 2022 from the Planning Institute of B.C.
An update to Council last Monday on the Child Care Partnership Strategy’s second full year highlighted its 2023 achievements while also noting changes to provincial housing and child care legislation affecting its funding and incentives.
2023 Highlights
Coquitlam made progress in 2023 in each of the four Child Care Partnership Strategy strategic directions: increase accessibility, improve affordability, focus on quality and build partnerships.
The efforts built on earlier work, including creation of a Child Care Incentive Policy to encourage spaces in new development by offering more residential floor area, and a development-funded Child Care Partnership Reserve Fund to support grants for non-profit providers and other solutions.
Highlights from 2023 include:
- Four rezoning proposals with nearly 280 new child care spaces, contributing to the almost 700 new spaces in the development approvals process.
- Continued growth of the Child Care Partnership Reserve Fund, now totalling $1.2 million from 14 developments.
- An increase of over 100 licensed child care spaces in the community since 2022 for a total of 5,185 child care spaces.
- Support for local families with 363 City-run day camps with 4,936 registrants, along with 5,330 out-of-school recreation programs with 34,588 registrants.
- Support for quality day care with clear policy, best practices research and staff education.
- Continued partnerships with the school district, child care advocates, service providers and the development community.
- Hosting networking events to connect developers, child care providers and regulators to increase awareness on Coquitlam’s Child Care Incentives Program and foster opportunities for more child care development.
- Continued advocacy for affordable child care and more child care workers.
Unknown Impact of New Legislation
More than 18,900 children up to age 12 live in Coquitlam based on the 2021 Census, and that number is expected to grow to more than 21,500 by 2031.
With the demand for child care increasing, the City of Coquitlam has made it a priority to focus on innovative solutions within the municipal mandate to address the community’s needs.
However, in light of impacts stemming from recent provincial housing legislation, momentum on child care may be stalled in Coquitlam in yet unknown ways. The legislation, implemented in late 2023, has redefined the landscape for municipalities, affecting crucial tools traditionally used to obtain community benefit through residential development projects.
For example, the legislation impacts the way the City incentivizes development for amenities and services. These legislative changes also affect the development finance system which could transform the work done through the City’s Child Care Partnership Reserve Fund, as its primary funding source is Community Amenity Contributions, which are paid on all new residential development.Despite these potential challenges the City of Coquitlam is committed to working with the community and all levels of government to create affordable and accessible childcare spaces.
Outlook for 2024
A priority for the Child Care Partnership Strategy work plan in 2024 will be reviewing and updating the strategy’s incentives-based structure to align with provincial legislative changes. The City will also explore ways to address increased child care demand related to new housing created under provincial housing mandates.
Work on other Child Care Partnership Strategy initiatives will be affected by the tight timelines B.C. local governments have been given to meet the new provincial mandates. For Coquitlam, this will mean reallocation of staff and resources from other business priorities to focus on implementation of provincial legislation. As resources permit, staff will focus on:
- Identifying incentives to facilitate child care spaces in areas with low-rise and mid-rise housing.
- Identifying incentives to facilitate child care spaces in developing areas, such as Burke Mountain and Maillardville.
- Considering locating licensed child care within civic lands or facilities.
- Continued data collection and reporting of child care access, coverage and need.
- Considering opportunities to use funds in the reserve fund, including grants.
- Updating child care parking requirements in the zoning bylaw.
- Continuing to develop partnerships with School District 43, other levels of government, developers and child care providers.
- Hosting networking events to connect developers, child care providers and regulators to increase awareness on Coquitlam’s Child Care Incentives Program and foster opportunities for more child care development.
- Exploring ways to encourage senior government child care investments in Coquitlam through the ChildCareBC New Spaces Fund.
About Coquitlam’s Child Care Partnership Strategy
Adopted in December 2021, Coquitlam’s Child Care Partnership Strategy provides a framework for the City’s approach to child care within the local government scope of responsibility, recognizing the larger role of senior levels of government and community partners. The strategy supports actions to improve the accessibility, affordability and quality of child care in Coquitlam, including the use of developer incentives and other means.
In July 2022, the Child Care Partnership Strategy was awarded a Silver Medal for Excellence in Policy Planning by the Planning Institute of BC. The strategy is being reviewed in 2024 following provincial legislative changes impacting its policies and funding source.
Learn more about the strategy at coquitlam.ca/ChildCare. To sign up for updates, visit coquitlam.ca/NotifyMe and subscribe to the Child Care Partnership Strategy list.
Media Contact:
Andrew Merrill
General Manager, Planning and Development
DevInfo@coquitlam.ca
604-927-3430
We acknowledge with gratitude and respect that the name Coquitlam was derived from the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ (HUN-kuh-MEE-num) word kʷikʷəƛ̓əm (kwee-KWET-lum) meaning “Red Fish Up the River”. The City is honoured to be located on the kʷikʷəƛ̓əm traditional and ancestral lands, including those parts that were historically shared with the q̓ic̓əy̓ (kat-zee), and other Coast Salish Peoples.