The provincial government is creating just over one thousand child care spaces in the Kenora District.

It’s part of the Federal/Provincial child care agreement reached early this year with Ontario.

Education Minister Stephen Lecce says they are contributing $5.4 million towards the creation of the child care spaces.

“We moved quickly and we worked in good faith in partnership with the municipality, the district, everyone worked together in the interest in driving desperately needed affordably for parents in Ontario, particularly Kenora,” Lecce said following the announcement Thursday afternoon at Evergreen School.

“The average in this region is just north of $6,000 per child, they are saving today.”

Kenora-Rainy River MPP Greg Rickford adds it will make a huge difference right across the region for families.

“It’s quite likely on implementation that this will be the one region in Ontario that will have absolute universal access to child care, with a greater than 100 percent increase in the number spaces over the next couple of years.  We will have effectively eliminated a wait list for families.”

Chair of the Kenora District Services Board Barry Baltesson says this will allow them to put child care into all the communities in the district.

“We know we have gaps in our smaller communities that have no child care, which means parents are forced to stay home.  They want to work, they want to advance their ability to participate in the economy.  This is going to give them that opportunity.”

The Kenora District Services Board says the additional child care is on top of the 938 spaces it operated last year.