The Children’s Circle Daycare Society is partnering up with the Royal Inland Hospital Foundation to try and build a second daycare in the Sagebrush neighbourhood of Kamloops.

Daycare Society Executive Director Karyn Sutherland says the society has applied for provincial money to build a daycare on a lot at 1510 9th Avenue, adjacent to their existing 170 space daycare that opened about two years ago.

“Our priority enrolment is for healthcare professionals but we also service the community,” Sutherland said. “It’s a great way to recruit healthcare professionals as well as retain staff and allow healthcare professionals to head back to work when having children.”

“It’s something that we need to continue to do work on because it is something that as our community grows, we will continue to need a certain rate of growth in childcare amenities for the under five and the school-aged children.”

Its not clear how many spaces will be built, though Sutherland is hoping for a “significant” development, should the application – which is also making its way through the City’s rezoning process – is approved. She also says their organization has an 800-name long waitlist as people hope to find daycare spaces.

“We just recently finished our strategic planning and this was one of the areas that our board of directors really focused on as something we wanted to purse for the community recognizing the demand that is out there,” Sutherland said.

“It’s pretty difficult to attract and retain any sort of talent in town if you don’t have these suitable amenities. I’m just thankful that in the last year or two, we’ve really seen a lot of forward progressive thoughts around childcare and that we continue to make positive steps with partners in town.”

In a statement, RIH Foundation CEO Heidi Coleman says access to quality childcare plays a vital role in the health and well-being of a community.

“This expansion is not just about providing more childcare spaces; it’s about ensuring that our healthcare professionals have the support they need to continue delivering critical services to the people of Kamloops, and to attract more doctors, nurses and other professionals that we so desperately need,” Coleman said.

Sutherland says more details – including the number of spaces that will be built along with construction timelines – will be worked on and shared once the application clears the City’s rezoning process.

She also says Children’s Circle Daycare Society is committed to working with residents and the Sagebrush Neighbourhood Association to address any concerns like traffic and community issues that may arise.

“We continue to have conversations as any good neighbour would,” Sutherland said. “We are a service provider in a residential neighbourhood so we like to have to have those conversations so if there are any situations that arise, we can address those in a timely way.”

“We understand that growth can bring challenges, but we believe that through open dialogue and collaboration, we can find solutions that benefit everyone.”