It’s still early days of the new provincial government, yet already we’re seeing the first signs of a new approach to child care.

Premier John Horgan appointed Burnaby MLA, Katrina Chen, as Minister of State for Child Care, and has sent the new Minister her Mandate Letter. It is noteworthy and very encouraging that the three key elements of the $10aDay Plan are provided as direction for the new Minister. She is expected to:

• Work with all levels of government, child-care providers, the private and not-for-profit sectors to implement a universal child-care plan that provides affordable, accessible and high-quality care and early learning to every child whose family wants or needs it, starting with infant/toddler programs before gradually expanding.
• Provide additional investments in the Early Childhood Educator workforce through training, education and fair wages to enhance and ensure quality.
• Accelerate the creation of new child-care spaces in communities across the province as part of building a Better BC.

We were also pleased Minister Chen met with Sharon Gregson, representing the $10aDay Campaign, on July 28th to discuss the steps the new government needs to take to build and sustain a quality, affordable child care system. Sharon highlighted that the $10aDay Plan calls on government to ensure prompt benefits for children, families and educators across the province through reducing parent fees, expanding the number of licensed spaces, and enhancing the wages of Early Childhood Educators.

The new Minister reiterated Premier Horgan’s steadfast commitment to the $10aDay Plan, and the government’s intention to move ahead with implementation.

The child care chaos in BC today has complex operational issues, so it’s also helpful that Minister Chen is meeting with a range of child care organizations. With knowledge from the sector, the broad commitment to building an effective system, and the support of people like you across BC, working together we will achieve a quality affordable child care system for BC families.

Please help us maintain the positive momentum of the $10aDay Plan in the weeks and months ahead by encouraging your friends, family and co-workers to sign the petition at www.10aday.ca/add_your_name.