B.C. to test $10-a-day child care promise at 53 locations

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – The government is moving ahead and testing it’s $10-a-day child care promise at 53 locations across B.C.

The province says 2,500 children will benefit from its latest prototype childcare program.

“The prototypes are being funded through an investment of $60 million under the Early Learning and Child Care (ELCC) Agreement with the Government of Canada,” read a statement from the government.

RELATED: Province quietly testing out $10 a day daycare in B.C.

“While priority was given to sites that had infant and toddler spaces, the Province has expanded eligibility to include other types of licensed child care,” the government added.

The facilities will receive government funding to cover costs. As part of the program, families will pay a maximum of $200 a month per child for childcare. This will be applicable for children enrolled full-time and during regular hours.

The government said each site will also receive a one-time quality improvement grant next year to help “enhance the quality of the programs it delivers.”

RELATED: Private providers questioning NDP as subsidized child care is about to be rolled out

Erin Frizzell has a three-year-old at one of the daycares that will be part of the project, and she says it will make a huge difference for her family.

“It is always a struggle on top of our rent to do that, so it frees it up for us to be able to, you know, provide that better opportunity for our daughter,” he said.

North Vancouver MP Jonathan Wilkinson says the $60 million needed until March of 2020 is part of an Early Learning and Child Care Agreement.

“We’ve committed to increasing 40,000 new spaces over the course of the next number of years, so we’re certainly interested in finding a way to expand programming that works,” Wilkinson added.

Parents not able to be part of this pilot project can still qualify for support if a family’s annual income is less than $111,000.

Government pledges help to families after Strathcona daycare closes

Meanwhile, Premier John Horgan is promising help is on the way for the families of 49 children at the now-closed Phil Bouvier Family Centre in Vancouver’s Strathcona neighbourhood.

“We will have now, because of the commitment we’ve made to child care over the past 15 months, the resources in place. The staff work has been done to lead the way with the prototypes and we’ll be working with those families to meet their needs,” he said.

The operators of the centre run by the Vancouver Native Health Society have indicated they can no longer afford it now that staff have unionized, but inspection reports show the centre hasn’t been meeting safety standards set by the City of Vancouver.

RELATED: Despite parents’ efforts, Strathcona daycare closes on Friday

Katrina Chen, B.C.’s child care minister, says help is already on the way.

“Our staff has been really proactive to connect with the providers, connect with the local government, the municipality or the school district or the indigenous community to see if we can have solutions,” she said.

The centre was initially slated to close in June, but emergency funding from the City of Vancouver has now run out and inspection reports show safety standards were not being met.

Top Stories

Top Stories

Most Watched Today