黑料论坛

Media Release March 4, 2025: A Missed Economic Opportunity! $10aDay Child Care in BC Budget

With Trump鈥檚 tariffs, much is out of government鈥檚 control. What is in their control is helping families with affordability through access to quality $10aDay child care.

鈥淚n a budget that claims to support the critical services British Columbians rely on, it is noteworthy that in year 8 of their 10-year plan, the provincial budget for child care is not increasing.鈥� says Sharon Gregson, Coalition of Child Care Advocates of BC. 鈥淭he small increase in $10aDay child care spending is wholly due to the federal government.鈥�

Sadly, this Budget continues to create winners and losers in child care. Some families have won the child care lottery with access to $10aDay programs. Others are struggling to pay high fees 鈥� or have no child care at all and are desperate on waiting lists.

This is particularly worrying at a time when government needs economic development to stimulate our economy. As resource projects are now being fast- tracked to create jobs in BC 鈥� child care is absolutely necessary for parents, particularly women, with young children to be able to go to work.

We wonder how it is that 9 other provinces & territories are able to cap ALL their parent fees (even Alberta and Ontario) 鈥� but BC has only capped fees in 10% of the spaces in our province? 鈥淗ow is it鈥�, asks Emily Mlieczko of the 黑料论坛, 鈥渢hat 7 other provinces and territories have been able to implement publicly-funded wage grids for their early childhood educators, but BC has not?鈥�

Some parents with school-age children may have some good news in the next 2-4 years as 10 new schools are planned to include 鈥渘eighbourhood centres of learning鈥� which can be used as shared space for before & after school programs.

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