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Lanark County Council is set to approve more than $4.3 million in provincial and federal funding to support child care expansion projects in Mississippi Mills and Carleton Place.
The funding will be used to help create new licensed child care spaces through the Canada-Ontario Early Learning and Child Care (CWELCC) program, with the goal of reducing waitlists and improving access for families across the region.
Warden Richard Kidd is over the moon.
The largest share of the funding, up to $3,293,137, will go to the Municipality of Mississippi Mills to support the creation of 78 new CWELCC child care spaces at a new child care centre.
The project had previously received $2.13 million in infrastructure funding and more than $1.28 million in start-up grant funding, with the new allocation covering the remaining funding gap.
Council also approved up to $557,356 in CWELCC Infrastructure Fund money for the Town of Carleton Place to create 48 new preschool child care spaces at its Carambeck location.
Mayor Toby Randell expressed his gratitude.
In addition, councillors approved up to $500,899 in child care mitigation funding to support the creation of 39 kindergarten spaces and 45 school-age child care spaces at the same facility.
A motion to approve the funding will be presented during the next council meeting.
Story by Grant Deme
