An effort to address Banff’s critical child care shortfall could see policy changes to reduce a more than 200-person waitlist.

Banff’s elected officials are having municipal staff look at potential grants to help facilitate new daycares or day homes and possibly expand the municipally-owned daycare building.

“It’s really imperative that we move now for that longer-term solution,” said Mayor Corrie DiManno.

The lack of child care was a primary issue raised during the 2025 municipal election.

The community has two daycares run by the Day Care Society of Banff and a day home by Davar Child Care Society that provides about 150 licensed child care spots.

But with more children on the waitlist than there are available spots, Coun. David Fullerton called it a “critical need in our community.”

‘Essential to families and essential to employers’

Shane Nizinkevich, chair of the Day Care Society of Banff, said the waitlist as of March 23 was 224. He added it depends on the age of a child and whether or not that age range has available spots, rather than a one-size-fits-all list, meaning some people may face years-long waits.

Adding more child care space is “essential to families and essential to employers” since without access to child care it could continue to force residents to move.

According to the 2021 census, the mountain town has 8,305 residents but it serves roughly 4.5 million visitors a year.

Since Banff relies on tourism, few people work the typical 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. day.

DiManno said she and Coun. Kaylee Ram would raise the topic at the next Banff and Lake Louise Tourism board meeting to “stimulate that discussion” with businesses.

Nizinkevich said the society is in the process of adding temporary space in St. George-in-the-Pines church to likely add about 30 new spots.

Parents struggling without child care

Sylvia Mc Cabe is a parent in the community with a 22-month-old daughter.

She was unable to return to her full-time job and now works part-time mostly on evenings and weekends to care for her daughter while her husband works overtime.

“As a result, we rarely spend time as a family,” she said. “We’re constantly trading off child care responsibilities and it’s taking a toll.”

Another parent, Helen Irwin, said there’s “no white knight on the way to rescue us” in resolving the immediate shortage.

“If we want to stop bleeding families out of our community, someone needs to lay a table and more of the community needs to come sit down and get creative,” she said.

In Banff’s 2023 community social assessment, daycare was expressed by residents as a key challenge. A child care needs assessment in 2024 emphasized the lack of child care spaces and wait times burdened many Banff families.

The 2024 assessment had goals of adding child care spaces and looking at possible expansions.

Jessica Labonte, Banff’s community development coordinator, said the province’s child care needs assessments involved Banff last year, but it reflected the Bow Valley region opposed to just Banff.

She said the radius was about 30 kilometres, so it included Canmore and didn’t factor its shortfall.

The long-term concern is that it may not show Banff being a “child-care desert,” and thereby impact future grant funding, said Alison Gerrits, Banff’s director of community services.

Labonte said the municipality’s child care assessment is “more reflective of our actual needs in the community.”

Space, not staff levels, biggest obstacle

Lindsay Jentzel, executive director of the Banff Child Care Centre, said they have child care workers — as well as staff accommodation — but the problem is the lack of space.

Banff has few development options since it’s capped by federal law to not grow beyond its four-square-kilometre borders. It means Banff doesn’t have the same ability as Calgary and area to build out.

One option being explored is possibly expanding the municipally-owned Banff Child Care Centre. Nizinkevich said it could be the “best and strongest ability for long-term sustainability.”

It was built in 1993 and rented back to the daycare society for $1 a year.

“The Town of Banff stepping up in any way we can to create more options for families within the town is crucial,” said Ram.