The $10aDay campaign strives to advance our goal of an inclusive, equitable and accessible child care system in ways that reflect the values and culture of the system we are advocating for. This means we are committed to reconciliation, diversity, equity, and inclusion.

As the BC and federal governments are now — finally! — beginning to implement their significant child care commitments, it is important that our advocacy works to include the diversity of BC families, children, and educators. We are committed to centring voices that have historically been excluded from our work and the broader BC women’s movement. We are taking concrete steps to include the lived experiences of families, children, and educators who identify as Black, Indigenous, People of Colour, 2SLGBTQIA+ and persons with disabilities.

As part of this commitment, we conducted a $10aDay Supporter Survey to better understand the extent to which $10aDay supporters reflect the diversity of BC families, children, and educators, and to identify supporters' priorities for making BC's child care system more inclusive.

Download the full survey results here.

Demographics

The majority of survey respondents identified as parents or relatives of children. More than a third of respondents also identified as working in various roles in the educational and child care sectors. On average, the majority of survey respondents identified as white, heterosexual women, aged 35 to 44 years, living in two-parent households with at least one child. 

These results highlight the need to continue building relationships with communities to better represent the diversity of BC. Our goal is to ensure that our advocacy work centres the diverse voices and lived experiences of all BC families, children, and educators.

Supporter Priorities

$10aDay supporters who completed the survey identified the following priorities for BC’s new child care system:

• Child Care Services for School-age Children – Parents and guardians highlighted the need for the K–12 system to provide before-and-after school care for school-age children in schools or on school grounds.

• Child Care Services for Children With Special Needs – Including neurodiverse children. Autism was the most common disability reported by parents and guardians of children living with a disability. Parents and guardians also highlighted the need for BC’s child care system to provide specialized training and professional development opportunities for educators.

• Child Care Services That Offer Flexible Hours of Operation – Including for shift workers. Specific needs included extended hours of operation, before-and-after school care, overnight care and flexible scheduling such as alternate weeks for guardians who share care.

• Better/Equitable Compensation Package for Educators –Including a competitive wage, benefits (medical, dental, extended health), pension, paid sick days, subsidized education, and professional development opportunities. That is, a strategy that respects and values the work of early childhood education professionals.

Next Steps

This was the first of two planned surveys. In the near future, we will be conducting a second survey to better understand how the lived experiences of $10aDay supporters impact their access to child care. Together, both surveys will provide a current snapshot of $10aDay supporters and their experience of child care in communities across the province.

Thank you so much to everyone who took part in this first survey. Your input will inform our advocacy strategy to promote the inclusion of all families in BC’s new child care system.