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Child-care award nominations open

Now is your chance to recognize the people who dedicate their time to taking care of, and educating the youth of Golden.

Now is your chance to recognize the people who dedicate their time to taking care of, and educating the youth of Golden.

Anyone with a child attending child care or preschool knows how valuable care providers can be in helping young children learn and grow. Nominations are officially open for an award of excellence for outstanding child-care providers.

The awards recognize the exceptional contributions made by early childhood educators, licensed family child-care providers, organizations and local governments throughout B.C.

Early childhood educators have been recognized in the past for their incredible contributions to the community. In 2012 Shelley Zajsek (manager of the Little Chimps preschool and facilitator of the Golden StrongStart program), received the Prime Minister’s Award of Excellence in Early Childhood Education.

Zajsek received a certificate of achievement and $1,000 for Little Chimps after she was nominated by a group of Golden residents.

The provincial awards are for the following four categories: Provincial (four awards, including at least one person or facility in a rural or remote community and at least one aboriginal individual or facility), Innovation (two awards), Local Government (three awards) and Leadership (seven awards).

Nominations must be in by April 15. Winners will be announced during Child Care Month in May. For more information for the awards, visit www.mcf.gov.bc.ca/childcare/awards/index.

To make child care more affordable for families, government is introducing the BC Early Childhood Tax Benefit starting in 2015. The benefit will provide $146 million annually to approximately 180,000 families with children under the age of six.