Early Learning & Child Care Programs

Program Information

StrongStart BC programs provide rich learning environments designed for early learning development - language, physical, cognitive, social and emotional. Qualified Early Childhood Educators lead learning activities where children find opportunities to make friends and interact with others of similar ages.

Participate with your young child (aged birth to five) in play-based early learning activities - including stories, music and art. At no cost to families, this early learning drop-in program supports children's development on the road to Kindergarten.

Children are eligible to attend StrongStart programs until they reach school age and are registered in school. 

Program Locations & Schedule

StrongStart programs open on September 10, 2025.

StrongStart programs are located in the blue Early Learning Centres on school grounds.

Alexis Park Elementary School 
Monday/Wednesday/Friday, 8:45am-11:45am
4205 – 35 Street, Vernon

Harwood Elementary School
Monday/Wednesday/Friday, 9:15am-12:15pm
4320 20th Street, Vernon

Mission Hill Elementary School
Monday/Wednesday/Friday, 8:45am-11:45am
1510 – 36th Street, Vernon

Ellison Elementary School
Monday/Wednesday/Friday,  9:15am-12:15pm
2400 Fulton Road, Vernon

Registration

You may register for StrongStart at any time! 

Please be prepared to provide legal proof of identification for your child:

• Any type of vital statistics document, like a birth certificate
• Identification issued by Immigration Canada (e.g. passport, visa, permanent resident card)
• An Aboriginal Status Card

Your child's initial registration into a StrongStart BC program will also mark the beginning of their educational record in BC and they will receive a Personal Education Number (PEN).

Program Information

Pop Up & Play events are part of our Ready, Set, Learn program and are intended for families and their three to five year old children. These events are all about fostering positive connections between families, the school system and local community agencies. Events provide a fun, family-oriented atmosphere with the intent of supporting children's transitions into school.

Upcoming Events

Ready, Set, Learn event information for the 2025-2026 school year will be coming soon!

Program Information

School District 22 is pleased to partner with BGC Okanagan for the provision of child care services for 3 to 5 year old children on school grounds. At BGC Okanagan, 3-5 year old programs are designed to nurture a sense of wonder, belonging, and possibility.

BGC embraces an emergent curriculum approach, where learning experiences grow from the ideas, interests, and questions of the children themselves. Educators and children are co-learners, exploring together, asking meaningful questions, and building knowledge through play, experimentation, and discovery. 

Locations & Times

BGC's licensed child care programs for children ages 3 to 5 years old are operated in the Early Learning Centres on school grounds. 

Alexis Park Early Learning Centre
Monday - Friday
8:00am-5:00pm

Ellison Early Learning Centre
Monday-Friday
8:00am-5:00pm

Mission Hill Early Learning Centre
Monday-Friday
8:00am-5:00pm

Registration

Contact BGC Okanagan to register in a 3-5 Year Child Care program.

Program Information

School District 22 offers a high-quality, affordable, and inclusive preschool program for 3-5 year old children. Our Preschool program supports young children's learning and social-emotional development. Certified Early Childhood Educators (ECEs) and Early Childhood Educator Assistants (ECE-As) build positive relationships with children and create an environment that is full of engaging and developmentally appropriate learning experiences. Through play, our preschool programs:

• nurture a sense of well-being and belonging
• provide opportunities for children to communicate their ideas and build relationships with others through dancing, constructing, art, mathematics, music, science, and storytelling
• build young children's positive sense of self-worth, self-awareness & identity:

*Note: As space permits, we enroll children at any time throughout the school year. A child must be 3 years of age enroll in our Preschool program.

Locations & Times

Harwood Elementary Early Learning Centre
Monday - Friday
8:30am-12:30pm

Preschool Fees

We offer 2, 3, and 5 day enrollment. Program fees are determined based upon a child's enrollment.

5 days/week: $405
3 days/week: $315
2 days/week: $210

Preschool are inclusive of the Child Care Fee Reduction Initiative (CCFRI).

The Affordable Child Care Benefit (ACCB) is a monthly subsidy to help eligible families with the cost of child care. Factors like income, family size, and type of care determine how much support families receive.  We support families with ACCB applications. 

Registration

As space permits, we enroll children all year long. Contact us today to apply for registration. 

Program Information

School age child care programs on school grounds create smooth transitions for children Kindergarten to 12 years old. High-quality, affordable, inclusive, and culturally safe programs allow children to explore their passions and interests and engage in both indoor and outdoor play experiences outside of school time. 

School District 22 operates licensed school-age child care programs on school grounds and we also partner with community child care providers who operate on our school grounds. Operational calendars for child care services vary by provider. 

School District 22 School Age Child Care Program Locations & Times

École Beairsto Elementary
BX Elementary  
Kidston Elementary 
Lavington Elementary 
Okanagan Landing Elementary 

Before School Child Care: 7:20am - first bell
After School Child Care: school dismissal - 5:30pm

Apply for School District 22 School Age Child Care Programs

BGC Okanagan School Age Child Care Program Locations & Times

Alexis Park Elementary 
Ellison Elementary 
Harwood Elementary 
Mission Hill Elementary 

After School Child Care: school dismissal to 6:00pm

Register for BGC Okanagan School Age Child Care Programs

Maven Lane School Age Child Care Program Locations & Times

Coldstream Elementary

After School Child Care: school dismissal - 5:30pm

Contact Maven Lane

Full Day Kindergarten

Supporting Transitions to Kindergarten 

School District 22 offers Kindergarten at all of our elementary schools, including French Immersion Kindergarten.

A full day, play-based kindergarten program has many benefits for a child’s academic and social skills. 

Children can start Kindergarten in September of the year they turn five years old. Kindergarten children are strong, capable in their uniqueness, and full of potential.  Schools partner with families in their child’s learning journey, believing that families have the most important role in contributing to children’s well-being and belonging.

Kindergarten is a year full of playful learning where children are encouraged to be curious, creative, and make new friends. Kindergarten is a place to wonder, to play, and to learn!  

Kindergarten Resources for Families

When I Go to Kindergarten
Early Learning Framework: A Guide for Families (language translations)
Play Today: A Guide for Families (language translations)
Support the Transition to Kindergarten 

Learn more about Kindergarten in British Columbia

Welcome to Kindergarten

All schools host Welcome to Kindergarten (WTK) events to meet registered children and their parents/caregivers in the Spring.  WTK focuses on fun, play-based learning experiences and is an opportunity for children and families to get to know a variety of school staff.  At WTK, families are provided with a bag full of activities to support learning at home.

Did you attend a Welcome to Kindergarten session at your local school in the spring of 2025? Check out the Family Activity Guide and the Learning Through Play Series Newsletters below that support families in using the take-home materials as you talk, read, create, and play each day with your child:

Learning Through Play, Issue 1

Learning Through Play issues will continue to be shared with families across the school year.

Families have the most important role in contributing to children's well-being and learning. The Ministry of Education and Child Care publishes a variety of resources to support families in the early years.

Play
Child Care
Health and Safety
Kindergarten
Learning Supports
Early Learning Programs