Against the backdrop of the affordable housing crisis, one Salt Spring success story highlights another related, persistent and often-overlooked shortage on the island: childcare. 

The 1,500-square-foot infant and toddler-care facility called Little Rainbows Early Learning Centre opened its doors just over a year ago at Salt Spring’s Rainbow Recreation Centre — a Capital Regional District grant-funded childcare space. The project features a committed, small group of community early childhood educators (ECEs) welcomed by the Gulf Islands Early Learning Society (GIELS), who have provided childcare for working families for 40 years. 

And it’s going well, according to the early learning centre’s manager Janice Shields –– as far as it goes. A great new facility, an educator team Shields calls “awesome,” an excellent early years program being administered for several children and families. There’s a lot to celebrate.  

But that gratitude is somewhat quieted by the knowledge so many other Gulf Islands families face the ongoing effects of the acute childcare shortage enduring throughout B.C. 

GIELS offers the only full-time, five-days-a-week group infant/toddler childcare option on Salt Spring. With a capacity of 12, Shields said, the struggle remains finding ECEs to fully staff-up the centre to accommodate that capacity. 

“We’ve been up to eight,” said Shields, “which is great, and we’ve probably helped more than 15 families in the last year. But the other 30 just that I know of that are desperate? I just wish we could assist.” 

Before Little Rainbows, Shields said, there were just four spaces for infant/toddler group childcare on Salt Spring, a number she said had been consistent for three decades. 

“And right now, the program with those four spaces hasn’t been open since spring,” said Shields. “You would have to say, we’ve gained eight and then lost four.” 

Historically, the shortage of ECEs has been tied to relatively low wages, as well as lack of benefits and pensions –– particularly considering the costs of becoming certified, which Shields said can run well into five figures. 

Shields said while the pace is slow, provincial and federal commitments to bettering childcare have brought improvements; in addition to grants for new facilities, she pointed to the fee reduction for families –– helpful if not yet the “$10-a-day-for-childcare” hoped for –– and the paid integrated practicums in ECE training programs that are replacing what used to be volunteer hours for students. 

“We were lucky to have someone last year who was able to do the courses they needed, and the practicum working with us,” said Shields. “And then they got their certification.” 

Little Rainbows has also benefitted from the Gulf Islands School District’s Care Economy Career Sampler program launched last year, a skills training course that lets students explore future potential careers in in-demand areas. Shields said two volunteer students are currently helping out on Fridays as part of their work experience to earn school credits. 

But the majority of the program’s income still comes from what is charged to families, she said. They’d love to offer better wages, but the dollars aren’t there –– yet. Meanwhile, island families –– especially those with infants –– face their own squeeze from Salt Spring’s high cost of living: find childcare, or leave. 

“Families are stressed because they need to go back to work,” said Shields. “Because you need to work full-time to afford this expensive housing, you’ll need full-time childcare. And then, where are those ECEs going to live?” 

To fill that gap, some parents are getting together, taking turns with each other’s kids during the day –– or, Shields said, some are “offsetting,” where one parent works nights and the other takes shifts during the day. 

And anyone with family members nearby brings them in, too. 

“Some days I’ll have three grandparents in the Strong Start program at the school,” said Shields. “So they’ve either moved here to help with childcare, or are living together on the same property, buying-in together. Some are commuting here; they’ve retired, but they come over to Salt Spring to do childcare every week, one or two days or more.”  

The addition of a Child Care Resource and Referral (CCRR) centre for the Gulf Islands has been immensely helpful, Shields said. CCRR maintains an active list of home childcare, group childcare, multi-age and preschool opportunities for young ones on the islands. 

“They keep track of all that, and they can pass onto families contact numbers so they can get onto wait lists,” said Shields. “They’ve also started offering little workshops, and of course the toy lending library.” 

That library, at 346 Lower Ganges Rd., is a modest but growing collection of age-appropriate toys and games that can be checked out by both childcare providers and families, Shields said. CCRR on Salt Spring is operated by Beacon Community Services. 

For more information, call the Gulf Islands CCRR at 250-931-1302.

Anyone interested in making financial donations to support Little Rainbows should reach out to Shields at littlerainbows@giels.org, or they can donate directly through GIELS’ website: saltspringearlylearning.ca/donate/p/little-rainbows-donation.