Childcare space may soon be offered at city hall for municipal employees, and possibly the public.

A motion introduced by Mayor Meghan Lahti on May 9 passed unanimously, prompting staff to start a needs assessment regarding offering a childcare service amenity.

From cursory discussions Lahti had with city staff, she said there “quite likely” is a need, adding she believes space could be added in the Port Moody Recreation Complex.

“We have an established need for daycare sites within the city and within the Tri-Cities,” Lahti said. “I want to find out exactly what could be accommodated, what the size of a daycare could be created.”

Lahti said the Social Planning and Research Council of B.C. informed the city in 2021 that Port Moody needed to create more than 1,000 spaces in the next year.

Even making a “little dent” in the total would be worth exploring, she said.

“I see the benefits being a win-win both for the community and for our staff, creating a desirable place for people to work and also creating opportunities and available sites and spots for kids within the community,” Lahti said.

Coun. Amy Lubik, who worked on the city’s childcare task force in 2022, described the need for childcare facilities in Port Moody as “dire.”

“Even if it’s not able to be the biggest facility, every little bit helps for those working parents,” Lubik said.

Patrick Penner, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Tri-Cities Dispatch