Children currently enrolled in the Lumby School's Out Program, members of local governments, School District 22 staff, and MLA Harwinder Sandhu at the announcement oft the new childcare facility in Lumby (photo by Liam Verster / Vernon Matters)

By Liam Verster

103 Space Facility

New childcare facility to be built in Lumby

Jul 22, 2024 | 3:29 PM

Families in Lumby will have access to more childcare services in the coming years.

An $11.5-million joint investment from the B.C. and Canada Governments, via the ChildCareBC New Spaces Fund, a new childcare facility will be built at the J. W. Inglis Elementary School.

“By working together with [School District 22] we are creating child care spaces where people need the most, like right here in Lumby where families are growing,” Harwinder Sandhu, MLA for Vernon-Monashee, announced Monday, July 22, adding this investment will provide families with a “seamless childcare” option for families with school age children.

“Seamless drop-off on the way to work will make life easier for for many, many families. It will give parents peace of mind knowing their child will be in one place for the entire day, and it does bring stability as well for the child as they don’t have to move through many places throughout the day.”

The MLA added it will also allow younger children to become familiar with the school so they can have an easier transition into Kindergarten.

Possible firearm involved

One person apprehended in connection with suspicious activity in Coldstream

Dec 13, 2025

Fatal Collision, Highway Closed

One person dead in crash near Revelstoke

Dec 13, 2025

Salaries

Vernon Council to discuss lesser pay increases

Dec 12, 2025

The new facility will be built as an attachment to the backside of the J.W. Inglis school and offer a total of 103 licensed childcare spaces.

“We’re going to be creating infant/toddler programs, so we’ll have 24 group child care spaces for infants and toddlers; and we’ll have a full time child care program for kids in the three to five-year age range, there will be 25 spaces for that program; then 54 school aged spaces,” Jennifer Friesen, District Principle of Early Learning and Childcare with School District 22, said following the announcement.

“We will, as a school district, be the operator of the infant/toddler and the three to five child care program, and White Valley Community Resource Centre, through the Lumby School’s Out Program, they will operate the before- and after-school care for school aged kids.”

It was noted the School’s Out Program will integrate the existing 40 spaces currently offered at the White Valley Community Centre.

Friesen added, once operational, this facility will see create more early childhood educator jobs in Lumby, though could not confirm how many new staff would be needed to run the programs.

The announcement of the new childcare facility was welcome news to Dr. Christine Perkins, School District 22’s superintendent.

“We have gone, in three years, from zero to 286 kids in childcare and early learning and, with our partners, we’re close to 490,” Perkins stated Monday.

Sandhu added fee-reduction programs will be made available for the families accessing this new facility.

Friesen said the school district was still in the design phase for the addition to J.W. Inglis, but hoped to see that completed and a company to build the facility selected in the coming months, with the goal of having the new facility open by the spring of 2026.

There will also be a designated parking and drop-off loop for the childcare facility, as well as designated outdoor play spaces.