Castlegar families will soon have a unique child care option with the opening a bilingual dare care centre this summer.

Les Roudoudous will provide eight new in-home, multi-age child care spaces in a renovated residential property thanks in part to funding through the province’s Childcare BC New Spaces Fund.

Owner Marie-Pier Dionne will be operating the French and English facility. She plans to also incorporate sign language throughout the day.

“Exposing children to new linguistic and cultural opportunities at a young age is also opening new doors for so much more,” said Dionne. “When children say and understand their first new words in French, their big shiny eyes and big smiles speak a thousand words and makes my heart grow.”

“Diversity in child care is an important part of providing quality care options for families,” said Katrine Conroy, Minister of Children and Family Development and MLA for Kootenay West.

“It’s exciting to think that children of French-speaking families will now have access to child care programming that incorporates their heritage.”

Les Roudousdous will also offer a gardening program that will give families the opportunity to learn how to grow food and take fresh produce home with them.

A daily snack will be available to support children from vulnerable families and Dionne will offer a monthly cooking workshop to help parents prepare easy, low-cost meals.

She will also be incorporating a recycling program to help teach the children the importance of reducing, reusing and recycling as a way of life, both at the centre and at home.