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Despite new government subsidies designed to improve choices for young parents, there's still a desperate shortage of day care space.
"It is tough and we do see some panicked parents coming in, said Melissa Hunt from Childhood Connections in Kelowna says parents are looking at long wait lists, especially for toddlers. "They go and they check in and they are told that there is a two year waiting list and it's really disheartening because they need it. In the Central Okanagan, you need two incomes." Hunt credits the provincial government for bringing in a subsidies to support the daycare industry, and she believes it will help add spaces, but it's going to take a while.
"It's not going to happen overnight," she said.
Once on a day care wait list, Hunt encourages parents not to leave it there. "Keep calling back," she suggests. "Keep connecting with the providers.
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