A long-awaited child care centre at Ralph Bell Elementary School in Kamloops has opened its doors.

The Kamloops-Thompson School District has partnered with the B.C. Government to operate the 72-space facility for children aged five and under, which will be managed by Inquiring Little Minds.

“Opening the new child care centre at Ralph Bell Elementary school in Valleyview is a significant step towards increasing the ability for Kamloops families to access affordable and high-quality child care,” SD73 Board Chair Heather Grieve said, in a statement.

“These 72 new licensed infant-toddler child care spaces are a welcome addition for families in our community.”

The Province says this Ralph Bell facility is first child care centre developed on school grounds in SD73, adding it was built with $2.8 million in ChildCareBC New Spaces Funding.

It says the new Valleyview daycare will offer full-day child care to infants and toddlers, helping children develop routines, independence, and social skills through activities, including art, circle time, and nature explorations.

“These new spots are more than child care for families in need, they are the light at the end of a long tunnel,” said Emma Silver, the Manager of Inquiring Little Minds said. “They are a step toward ensuring a bright future with quality education for children of all ages.”

The new spaces were announced in April of last year, with another 72 spaces currently under construction at the former Happyvale Elementary in Brocklehurst. Both schools will have 24 spaces for children under three years of age and 48 for children over three.

“Childcare on school grounds just makes sense for families. It means one drop off and one pick up and so we’ve been partnering with school districts around the province to build childcare on school grounds,” Grace Lore, B.C.’s Minister of State for Child Care told Radio NL.

“We are working with providers to reduce costs by up to $900 every single month for families, depending on age and type of care. Once providers are in our program, they can only increase their fees 3 per cent a year.”