Update: Council carried the motion to conduct a childcare needs assessment unanimously at its Oct. 31 meeting.
The city will consider conducting research to help address childcare needs in the community. City council will vote on spending up to $25,000 on the initiative at its meeting on Oct. 31.
Councillor Jenn Schmidt-Rempel will bring the motion forward and points out a report from city admin shows a gap of about 600 childcare spaces as of 2023.
“Increasing the availability of childcare spaces in Lethbridge is critical to supporting working parents and stimulating economic growth by allowing more individuals to participate in the labor force,” part of her business motion reads.
If approved, the childcare needs assessment will encompass in-depth background research, thorough analysis and benchmarking the current childcare landscape.
It would be completed by the second quarter of 2024 and would include recommendations to help increase the number of childcare spaces.