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Child Care Strategy

The City of Coquitlam recognizes that addressing the provision of high quality child care facilitates early childhood development, enables parents to work and contribute to the local economy, strengthens neighbourhoods and helps to build a more attractive, stable and complete community.

Coquitlam received a $25,000 grant this past spring from the provincial Community Child Care Planning Program through the Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) to create a Child Care Strategy. The communities of Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam and Port Moody have collaborated on the project since many Tri-Cities residents cross boundaries to access child care, school and other services.

Development of the Child Care Strategy also includes:

An inventory of existing child care spaces, service levels and types of programs in different neighbourhoods;
Identification of short-, medium- and long-term targets for new spaces;
A survey and site visits to child care operators to collect input on expanding facilities and service levels to meet the community’s child care needs; and
Consultation with additional stakeholders, including Fraser Health, School District 43 and organizations that serve local families.

Coquitlam’s draft plan will be presented to Council in early 2020.

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Are you looking for child care?
The province is responsible for the licensing and monitoring of child care facilities in BC. Please refer to Fraser Health for information on the different types of child care programs and where licensed child care facilities can be found in Coquitlam:
- Search for Child Care
The province of BC has published a guide to assist parents in selecting and monitoring child care:
- Parents’ Guide to Selecting and Monitoring Child Care in BC
Are you interested in becoming a child care provider?
There are a number of steps that you must take with the City of Coquitlam and the province in order to open and operate a licensed child care facility. The following document provides you with an overview of the required steps:
- Child Care Facility Requirements: Building Permits, Zoning, Business Licenses – Coquitlam Planning and Development
- Fraser Health provides information for prospective and current child care facility operators
Child Care Strategy Documents
The City is developing a Child Care Strategy to explore ways to better respond to this critical community need. There will be a number of opportunities for the public to provide their input into the Child Care Strategy beginning in the fall of 2019. Information regarding the Child Care Strategy and opportunities for public input will be posted here.
- Child Care Strategy Proposed Scope and Process – February 11, 2019 report to council
One of the first steps in the Child Care Strategy was to improve the City’s current support for child care through amendments to its Official Community Plan and Zoning Bylaw. These amendments were adopted by City Council on April 29, 2019.
- Child Care Policy & Regulation: Amending Bylaws – April 29, 2019 Public Hearing report
Child Care Links

Childcare BC is the provincial government’s child care web portal. It includes information on the different types of child care programs, finding and choosing child care, funding opportunities, opening or running a child care program, support for child care providers, etc.

The Tri-Cities YMCA’s Child Care Resource & Referral program has information and resources for parents seeking child care and for child care providers. They assist parents with information and the application process for the Affordable Child Care Benefit offered by the province. The CCRR assists providers with training, networking, support and offers a Toy and Resource Lending Library with the latest books, games and puzzles, musical instruments, felt stories and seasonal items.

Tri-Cities Kids Matter provides information and resources for parents and for people working with children from ages 0-12. The website is maintained by the Tri-Cities Early Childhood Development (ECD) and Middle Childhood Matters (MCM) Committees that are comprised of local agencies and public partners serving children and their parents in the Tri-Cities.

The Early Childhood Educators of BC represent the early childhood care and education profession throughout the province. They provide professional development opportunities, training, and resources for early childhood educators across the province and inform the broader community about their work.