By Laura Brookes
More than 2,600 essential service workers in British Columbia have been referred to open child care spaces through the province's new child care matching process.
The new process was launched by the province nearly a month ago, and thousands of essential service workers have been making the most of the service.
Parents working on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic and have children up to five years of age are matched with licensed child care spaces.
Priority is given to children whose parents work in public health and health services, social services and law enforcement, first responders and emergency response sectors, with additional space given to children with parents in various other essential roles.
About $38 million has been invested into child care centres during the crisis to ensure centres are able to remain open and provide the service to essential workers.
Essential workers looking for child care can fill out a parent/guardian form to identify their need for urgent child care. Forms or by calling the toll-free 1-888-338-6622 and selecting option four.
Parents who are not in essential service roles but require child care can fill out the form and will be informed if space is available after priority spots have been filled.
For more information on Ministry of Health guidelines that inform best practices for child care providers during the pandemic, .
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