Noting an ongoing need for childcare services on the Sunshine Coast, Gibsons council endorsed the 2025 Sunshine Coast Child Care Action Plan (SCCAP), during its March 18 regular meeting.
Coun. David Croal introduced the item, explaining that the project was started in 2019, and said the plan was due for an update.
SCAAP, administered by the Sunshine Coast Joint Child Care Council, aims to be foundational to the well-being of families, children and communities, said a report on the meeting agenda.
It also states the plan, “enables parents and caregivers to fully participate in the workforce, supports gender equity, and strengthens the social and economic fabric of the Sunshine Coast.”
The plan is essentially a framework for what they want childcare to be like on the Coast and what they need, which will make it easier to plan future childcare organization. It lists recent success stories in childcare including the expansion of childcare spaces within School District 46 and the $10-a-Day initiative, which now benefits 16 programs across the Coast.
Croal pointed out some “significant” statistics, including, the difference in income between a two-parent and single-parent family, roughly a $49,200 gap, and that 12.9 per cent of children under 17 on the Sunshine Coast are living in low-income households.
“The whole situation we're faced with on the Coast is the growing demand for daycare and having the right daycare to meet the needs of the community,” he said.
There are 642 children on the Coast between ages zero and two, and only 144 licensed childcare spaces available, said the report.
The next age group, ages three to five years, has 711 children in it, and only 462 available licensed spaces on the Coast.
The last group estimated is children ages six to 12 years old, with 1,951 children and 235 licensed spaces available.
Croal continued, saying he would like to see the report become a guideline tool for planning that staff and developers will be able to reference for future development.
“Even if it's just directing them to this report, they start moving in the right direction to meet needs,” he added.
The SCAAP 2025 was unanimously endorsed by Council.
Jordan Copp is the Coast Reporter’s civic and Indigenous affairs reporter. This reporting beat is made possible by the Local Journalism Initiative.
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