The City of Burnaby will build a 74-space child care facility on Rowan Avenue, utilizing City land to address the critical need for child care services in our community.
“Our Child Care Action Plan outlines how access to high-quality child care service is critical for the healthy development of young children and their families,” said Mayor Mike Hurley. “We’re committed to continuing to find innovative solutions and work with our partners to develop even more spaces to respond the urgent needs of our growing community.”
The planned facility will be two, one-storey buildings, with two infant-toddler (0-36 months) programs (identified as the most underserved age group in Burnaby in Burnaby’s Child Care Action Plan), as well two preschool (3-5 years) programs.
With capacity for up to 74 children, the Rowan Avenue facility will be large enough to benefit City and RCMP staff, as well as Burnaby residents. While priority will be provided to City and RCMP staff, the facility will also provide a significant number of spaces for community use.
The construction budget for the Rowan Avenue facility is $8.1 million, which is aligned with the costs for other child care facilities built by the City of Burnaby over the last five years:
| Project name | Capacity | Year tendered | Construction cost | Cost with current escalation | Cost per SF | Cost per child |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rowan | 74 | 2023 | $8.1 M | Not applicable | $1,139 | $109,000 |
| Stride | 37 | 2020 | $2.8 M | $3.8 M | $1,228 | $102,162 |
| Capitol Hill | 25 | 2018 | $1.7 M | $2.4 M | $1,176 | $97,200 |
| Montecito | 25 | 2018 | $1.7 M | $2.4M | $1,176 | $97,200 |
Burnaby is committed to delivering accessible, quality child care and making it straightforward for operators to open child care centres. The City is facilitating the creation of new child care spaces through two strategies: developing City-owned child care facilities operated by non-profit societies, and by partnering with the Burnaby School District to establish child care facilities on school sites in Burnaby.
City-owned sites currently provide a total of 232 quality licensed child care spaces for infants, toddlers, three-to-five-year-olds and school-aged children. Through the partnership with the Burnaby School District, a total of 247 new spaces have been completed, with more spaces scheduled.
Learn More: Burnaby.ca/ChildCare
Media Contact:
Chris Bryan
Manager, Public Affairs
Public Affairs Office
604-570-3616 | [email protected]