Squamish Stroller Brigade

Parents and tots protest for affordable childcare in Squamish Stroller brigade through downtown joins 20 communities’ plea Keili Bartlett   Squamish Chief   OCTOBER 5, 2019 It’s a sunny Saturday in Squamish, and there are more strollers than usual being pushed through downtown. On Oct. 5, around 50 parents — and at least... Read more

Campbell River Stroller Brigade

Childcare centres to hold Stroller Brigades in Campbell River Brigades to encourage people to vote in the federal election with early care and learning in mind. The Coalition of Child Care Advocates of BC with the Early Childhood Educators of BC and The Waitlisted Project are coordinating province-wide “Stroller Brigades... Read more

New Westminster Stroller Brigade

Stroller Brigade hits New Westminster this weekend Theresa McManus New West Record   OCTOBER 3, 2019 The Coalition of Child Care Advocates of B.C. is using the federal election as an opportunity to highlight the importance of child care funding. The group is holding a Stroller Brigade for Child Care on...

Child Care a Federal Election Issue

B.C. parents demand to make child-care a vital federal election issue BY NIKITHA MARTINS Posted Oct 5, 2019 VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – A number of parents are hitting the streets armed with their strollers to voice their demand to make child-care more of a federal election issue. The ‘Stroller Brigade’ is...

Langley Stroller Brigade

Langley march aims to make child care a federal election issue The Stroller Brigade will be held Saturday at the Langley Events Centre JOTI GREWAL Oct. 4, 2019  A stroller brigade will take to the streets of Langley this weekend with the goal of making child care a federal election issue.... Read more

Child Care in the Federal Election on CBC Radio

Listen here to Stephen Quinn from the Early Edition interview Sharon Gregson, spokesperson for the $10aDay Plan, and Paul Kershaw, founder of Gen Squeeze.

Stroller Brigades in Kelowna, Kamloops, Vernon & Penticton

Stroller Brigades want attention on child care across B.C. InfoNews.ca Jenna Wheeler KAMLOOPS - In 20 cities across B.C., mothers, fathers, childcare providers, and guardians will partake in the Stroller Brigade in an effort to increase visibility and political focus on issues parents face trying to find and afford childcare. On Saturday,... Read more

Comox Valley Stroller Brigade

Comox Valley Stroller Brigade bringing childcare crisis to forefront Comox Valley Record, October 1, 2019 Have you or someone you know been on a waitlist for childcare far longer than you care to admit? Does the lack of quality, affordable, accessible childcare have a negative impact on your life? Does... Read more

Join the Stroller Brigades on October 5th

It’s now confirmed there will be a federal election on October 21st and we’re hoping you’ll help us to make Child Care visible as an important election issue in your community! The Coalition of Child Care Advocates of BC along with the Early Childhood Educators of BC and The Waitlisted Project are supporting province-wide “Stroller...

Child Care in Sea-to-Sky Region

Child care in Sea-to-Sky region going from 'bad to worse to crisis to chaos' Municipalities, provincial government say work is being done to alleviate child-care crunch Liam Britten · CBC News · Posted: Aug 19, 2019 Elliott Hashimoto spent 18 hours outside in the dark and rain of a Whistler night to get what's... Read more

Support for $10aDay from Nelson, B.C.

Support for move toward universal childcare supported by council... by Timothy Schafer on Sunday August 25 2019 The province is moving towards the creation of a universal childcare plan and the city has moved to support that effort and becomes the 60th municipality to do so. The city recently approved a...

BC Budget 2020 Consultation Report


North Okanagan begins community child care planning

Thanks to a $25,000 grant from the province to undertake a community child care planning process, the City of Enderby has secured a consultant who will be kicking off the process. Kara Wilhelms will be working directly with the community to develop a child care inventory, needs assessment, and action...

Budget surplus means B.C. on track to provide universal child care

Minister of Finance Carole James says ending 2018 with $1.5 billion operating surplus makes ten-dollar-a-day child care accessible to more families. VICTORIA (NEWS 1130) — The latest Public Accounts report from the provincial government shows the operating debt has been eliminated for the first time in more than 40 years –which should...

Over 600 new Indigenous Early Learning & Child Care Spaces

Indigenous families in over 30 communities throughout the province will benefit from more than 600 new, free licensed child care spaces and expanded Aboriginal Head Start (AHS) programs. These programs support Indigenous families in becoming stronger and keep children connected to their culture. The announcement was made by Katrine Conroy,...

New Spaces Fund increasing to $3 million per project

Maximum funding amount available from Childcare BC New Spaces Fund increasing to $3 million per project THE maximum funding amount available from the Childcare BC New Spaces Fund to public-sector organizations, such as local governments, school districts, tribal councils and First Nations governments, is increasing to $3 million per project, up...

Surrey Board of Trade Pleased

Surrey Board of Trade Pleased with BC Government’s Funding Increases for Childcare Spaces SURREY – On July 15, the BC Government announced funding increases for childcare spaces. A significant increase in funding will help public-sector and non-profit organizations create more publicly owned and operated child care spaces in BC communities. The...

Three New Child Care Centres coming to Burnaby by 2020

Cornelia Naylor/Burnaby Now APRIL 16, 2019 Burnaby should have three new child-care centres with a total of 124 new licensed spaces by January 2020, thanks in part to $2.25 million from the provincial government. The City of Burnaby is getting $2 million to help build two of the centres with...

$1 Million for Maple Ridge Child care

Maple Ridge - Pitt Meadows News PHIL MELNYCHUK Jul. 2, 2019  Maple Ridge is getting a $1-million boost for child care services at the new Albion Community Centre, thanks to the senior governments. Federal and provincial politicians stopped into Maple Ridge on Tuesday to announce the award that will allow the city to...

Kamloops assessment

Child-care assessment continues in Kamloops Jessica Wallace / July 11, 2019 After receiving provincial funding to assess child-care spaces, city staff will be engaging this summer with child-care providers. The city issued a survey and now plans to follow up in person. Anecdotally, the city and KTW have heard of a shortage... Read more

Katrina Chen visits local child care

Cabinet minister pops into local daycare Oliver Chronicle / July 9, 2019 Minister of State for Child Care Katrina Chen paid a visit to Inkameep Preschool and Daycare last week. “This is a real example of culturally inclusive childcare and we definitely need more examples like this to make sure... Read more

Rethinking how to pay for new spaces

Iglika Ivanova and Lynell Anderson: Building B.C. a universal child-care system means rethinking how to pay for new spaces The Province News / July 8, 2019 OPINION: To quickly meet the needs of B.C. families we need to rethink how we fund new spaces and invest in publicly owned child... Read more

Whistler staffing crisis

Who's minding the baby? Clare Ogilvie / July 4, 2019  Staffing and housing issues are old friends on the list of challenges when it comes to offering sustainable solutions for any number of things in Whistler. Most recently, they have come to the fore in the discussion around child care and... Read more

Child care needs study

Nanaimo, Lantzville, Parksville, Qualicum partner on studying child care needs Nanaimo News Staff / June 25, 2019 Five local governments will look collectively at child care in the region. The City of Nanaimo, District of Lantzville, City of Parksville, Town of Qualicum Beach and the Regional District of Nanaimo announced... Read more

City of Penticton supports $10aDay Child Care

City of Penticton supports $10aDay Child Care program Jordyn Thomson / June 19, 2019 The City of Penticton has endorsed the provincial $10aDay Child Care initiative. At the regular council meeting on June 18, council voted unanimously to send a letter of support to the provincial NDP government in relation... Read more

Kamloops parent letter

Letter: Healthy kids become healthy adults Kamloops This Week / June 13, 2019 Editor: Re: Fred Bugden’s letter of June 12, in which he decries the idea of $10-a-day day care, subsidized by taxpayers (‘I should not be forced to pay for your kids’): I don’t want to live in a... Read more

Increased support for B.C. child care

Poll: Support for B.C. child care moves, but parents still struggling Zak Vescera / June 13, 2019 British Columbians support recent government investments in child care but are still in serious need of affordable public spaces, according to a new poll. An online survey of 800 adults, including 400 parents, conducted by... Read more

Survey indicates B.C. residents need change

British Columbians want change when it comes to child care: survey Mario Canseco / June 13, 2019 After Quebec began the implementation of a nearly universal child care system in 1997, many other jurisdictions in Canada have attempted to emulate the policy. Proud Quebecers who have benefitted are quick to... Read more

Demand for $10 a day in Kimberley

Budget consultation committee visits Kimberley Carolyn Grant / June 13th, 2019 Columbia River Revelstoke MLA Doug Clovechok is on a whirlwind tour across the province with the Budget Consultation Committee. He was in Kimberley on Tuesday, June 11 with the committee, which is made up of MLAs of all parties,... Read more

Penticton family may have to move

Penticton family may have to move back to Ontario due to lack of affordable child care Global News / July 1, 2019 A Penticton, B.C., family says they may be forced to move back to Ontario due to the lack of affordable, quality child care options in the South Okanagan.... Read more

Increased demand for universal child care

Get going on universal child care: B.C. premier to provinces, territories, feds The Canadian Press / July 5, 2019 VANCOUVER - Stressed-out Vancouver parents will get some relief knowing 2,300 child care spots will be available in about three years but the city currently has a shortfall of 17,000 spaces, the mayor... Read more

Vancouver to get 2,300 more daycare spots

Vancouver to get 2,300 more daycare spots, but 17,000 spaces needed The Canadian Press / Jul. 4, 2019  The governments of B.C. and Vancouver have teamed up to provide 2,300 child care spots in the city, but they won’t be available for three years and the mayor says there’s still... Read more

Budget 2020 Recommendations

Submission to Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services $10aDay Child Care Recommendations for BC Budget 2020 June 26, 2019 Written Submission from the Coalition of Child Care Advocates of BC The BC government has taken bold initial steps towards its commitment to universal child care by reducing parent... Read more

Submission to Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services $10aDay Child Care Recommendations for BC Budget 2020

Click here to view a PDF version of this post. The BC government has taken bold initial steps towards its commitment to universal child care by reducing parent fees, raising educator wages and education, affirming its support for Indigenous-led child care and introducing $10aDay Prototype Sites across the province. These... Read more

Results of New Poll on Child Care in BC

Province-wide poll finds strong support for new government investments in child care with much more required to deliver the popular $10aDay Plan. Almost two-thirds of parents who have a child enrolled in child care say current government investments are having a positive impact on their child care situation – but... Read more

EDITORIAL: A good start to childcare

$10-a-day care is still a long way off Sooke News Mirror / Editorial May 8, 2019  Make no mistake about it, after 16 years of neglect under B.C’s Liberal government, the child care landscape in B.C. has begun to claw it’s way back to a level that might give parents a... Read more

Kamloops council gives unanimous support to $10aday Child Care Plan

by: Brendan Kergin The City of Kamloops has joined with dozens of other B.C. municipal governments in supporting the $10aDay Child Care Plan to help make child care more affordable and accessible across the province. Council voted to write a letter of support for the plan after Sharon Gregson, the plan's spokesperson, made... Read more

Kamloops council endorses $10-a-day child care

Kamloops is the 56th local/regional government to endorse the plan, in addition to more than 30 school districts Jessica Wallace /Kamloops This Week  MAY 8, 2019 Kamloops council has endorsed what the province says is one of the largest social policy shifts in B.C.’s history — $10-a-day child care. However, it... Read more

Tri-Cities Parents Scrambling

Tri-City parents scrambling after Port Coquitlam daycare closes suddenly By Tanya Beja Reporter  Global News May 1, 2019 Parents in the Tri-Cities are scrambling to find child care after a Port Coquitlam daycare closed suddenly. Kendra Riley paid a $250 deposit in April to secure an after-school spot for her daughter at... Read more

Putting people first

Launching first phases of universal child care policy through a $10-a-day pilot program John Horgan / Apr. 18, 2019 Wherever I go, I meet people who have had to make difficult choices to help their family get ahead and thrive. Over the past decade British Columbians have struggled with rising costs... Read more

$10-a-day child care not in 2019 budget

$10-a-day child care not in 2019 budget, but advocate not irked Ashley Wadhwani / Feb. 20, 2019 The NDP’s $10-a-day child care may not have been directly mentioned in the government’s provincial budget, despite it being one of the party’s key election promises, but one advocate says the government is... Read more

BC Child Care Dilemma

B.C. family wins child care lottery, another 'stuck in the middle' David Molko / February 27, 2019 Susan Tran from Vancouver and Edith MacHattie from Port Moody are like many Metro Vancouver middle class parents. Both are married with multiple children, and both they and their spouses are juggling full-time jobs.... Read more

City of Kamloops receives $25K grant

City of Kamloops receives $25K grant for use in child-care space inventory Jessica Wallace / March 22, 2019  A Kamloops councillor who has been pushing the issue of a lack of child-care spaces in the city is delighted with news the city has received a $25,000 provincial grant to create an inventory of child-care... Read more

Canadian provinces taking on child care

How Canadian provinces are taking on affordable child care — and how it compares to the world Maham Abedi / March 26, 2019 Alberta’s New Democrats have unveiled an election pledge that would expand its $25-a-day child care plan. The province’s NDP Leader Rachel Notley said the price cap would apply no matter what a... Read more

Child care study

Child care study money a step towards $10 a day care — advocate Diane Strandberg / March 22, 2019 Grants totaling $75,000 for child care planning in Port Moody, Coquitlam and Port Coquitlam won’t solve the daycare crisis today but will go a long way towards the implementation of a $10-a-day plan,... Read more

Vancouver Women's Movement

Federal funding aims to help women’s movement in Metro Vancouver Jessica Kerr / March 28, 2019 Fourteen women’s organizations in the Lower Mainland are among more than 250 from across Canada receiving a financial shot in the arm from Ottawa. Back on March 8, which is International Women’s Day, Minister for... Read more

King County’s child care woes

Clues for fixing King County’s child care woes may be found in British Columbia Ashley Hiruko and Aaron Kunkler / March 30, 2019 Vancouver, British Columbia’s child care issues look painfully similar to those experienced by parents in King County and across Washington state. British Columbia, Canada saw 16 years of worsening... Read more

Millennials need more government support

COLUMN: Millennials need more government support Wayne Stetski / Apr. 3, 2019 As a Member of Parliament, I represent people in all stages of life and think it’s important to consider the impact of government policies and investments across age brackets. As a parent and grandparent, I hope my children... Read more

50-year Anniversary

Early child care educators celebrate 50-year anniversary BRITTANY GERVAIS / Apr. 9, 2019 Approximately 250 people, including early childhood educators in Terrace and across the province, gathered at the Sportsplex April 6 to mark the 50-year anniversary of the Early Childhood Educators of BC (ECEBC) organization. There were many activities... Read more

Squamish Child Care

EDITORIAL: Light at the end of the Squamish child care tunnel The Chief staff / Squamish Chief APRIL 10, 2019 A Squamish new dad says the final straw forcing his family to sell their home and move from Squamish is the lack of accessible and affordable childcare. This is an extreme real-life example... Read more