Policy Brief: Child Care Affordability in BC — What’s Working (and What’s Worrying)

PART 1 OF 4 POLICY BRIEFING NOTES • FALL 2018 Click here to download a PDF version of this policy brief. Read more

Letter to Minister of State Katrina Chen

September 21, 2018 Honourable Katrina ChenMinister of State for Child CarePO Box 9057 STN PROV GOVTVictoria, BC V8V 9E2 Dear Minister of State Chen: Recently we have been contacted by parents and child care providers expressing concern about: Child care fees that, from their perspective, are increasing substantially – despite... Read more

CKNW Radio Interview

Listen to $10aDay researcher Lynell Anderson CGA CPA, along with Shannon Newman-Bennett being interviewed by Lynda Steele on CKNW radio. They're discussing recent changes to child care in BC...click here

Child Care in the News

PREMIER ANNOUNCES INCREASED INCOME THRESHOLD FOR FAMILIES TO GET CHILDCARE SUBSIDIES How saving on daycare helped a B.C. family afford a bigger home FEDERAL-PROVINCIAL FUNDING GIVES EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS WAGE BOOSTS Bursary, pay increases coming for B.C. early childhood educators IMPROVEMENTS AIM FOR BETTER RETENTION AND RECRUITMENT FOR ECE’S NIC...

Province Launches Affordable Child Care Benefit

BC Government takes one more step towards affordable child care in BC! Parent fees eliminated for most families earning less than $45,000 annually with children under age 3 in licensed child care – as recommended in the $10aDay Child Care Plan. Building on the BC government’s recent Child Care Fee... Read more

ECE Work-force Strategy Announced!

For the first time in a generation Early Childhood Educators in BC will receive a publicly-funded wage increase. After nearly two decades of government ignoring the growing recruitment and retention crisis in the Child Care sector, new funding for wages and education are very welcome. Now that government is supporting... Read more

A Letter from June

My Evolution of an ECCE Perspective I have been doing a lot of reflection over my forty-seven years in the ECE profession. With the advent of the current Provincial Child Care plan and the ongoing proposal for the Community Plan for a Public System of Integrated Early Care and Learning... Read more

$10aDay Plan Welcomes Funding for 22,000 New Spaces

Good news for families across the province! Today the BC government announced the next step on the province’s path to universal child care – funding for the creation of 22,000 new licensed child care spaces over the next three years. Public partners, local governments, school districts, etc.  can access $1...

BC Needs More Child Care Spaces – Here’s How…

The BC government has committed to creating 24,000 licensed child care spaces over the next three years, a target that is consistent with the $10aDay Child Care Plan recommendations. As government begins to create these new spaces, we call on them to move away from the old, ineffective Major Capital... Read more

A Letter to the Minister of State for Child Care

Here's a copy of a recent letter sent to Katrina Chen, the Minister of State for Child Care (click here for a PDF version). Read more

Child care fee reductions are coming to BC. Here's what you need to know.

As government takes its first steps to implement a system of universal child care, here's the latest on what you need to know. Read more

An Open Letter to All Licensed Child Care Providers in BC

Dear Colleagues: On behalf of our two organizations, the Coalition of Child Care Advocates of BC (CCCABC) and the Early Childhood Educators of BC (ECEBC), we are writing to you at an important time in the evolution of quality, affordable, accessible and inclusive child care in BC. Read more

What’s next: Advocacy Priorities after Budget 2018

$10aDAY PLAN SUPPORTERS ARE CELEBRATING the BC government’s commitment to building a quality, universal child care system. Child Care BC acknowledges the importance of a fairly- compensated workforce and a system built on affordability for all families. Read more

Comparing government’s Child Care BC commitments with the community’s $10aDay Plan

IN AN HISTORIC BREAKTHROUGH for BC children and families, Budget 2018 commits over $1 billion in new provincial and federal child care funding. Over three years these funds will be used to begin implementing Child Care BC — government’s path to universal child care. This level of public investment delivers... Read more

Why We Urge Child Care Providers to Opt In to the New Child Care Fee Reduction Initiative:

A Joint Statement by the Coalition of Child Care Advocates of BC and Early Childhood Educators of BC The BC government’s Child Care BC strategy provides an opportunity for child care providers to receive more direct operating funding (CCOF), with accountability measures, to begin building a universal child care system.... Read more

BC Budget 2018 Media

National Post: Budget puts B.C. on path towards universal child care program: Carole James Global: It’s not $10-a-day, but NDP says $1B childcare plan will help thousands of families CTV: B.C. budget includes housing, child care plans, hikes to employer, real estate taxes Times Colonist: B.C. Budget: Finance minister announces...

BC Budget 2018 Media Release

Media Release from the Coalition of Child Care Advocates of BC and Early Childhood Educators of BC February 20, 2018 BC Budget 2018 – Historic New Child Care Spending Turns the Corner on BC’s Child Care Chaos Families, Early Childhood Educators, employers and communities across BC - along with our... Read more

If the BC government adopts the $10aDay Plan, they’ll be in good company

The $10aDay Plan affirms the evidence highlighting the importance of increasing direct operating funding to licensed child care programs, with accountability for capping and lowering parent fees, raising ECE wages, and meeting other quality and access standards. The $10aDay community recommends that this direct funding approach start immediately in BC, with...

Policy Briefing Note — Full Implementation of the $10aDay Child Care Plan: Summary

Key requirements: direct funding of licensed child care programs, with accountability for affordability, quality and inclusion for all who choose them; implementation of Indigenous Early Learning and Child Care Framework; and infrastructure strategy. The summary below incorporates the Plan’s full implementation costing over 8 years for children under age 6.... Read more

How the Fight for Child Care Was Won

$10aDay campaign shows a way to bring change — but the battle isn’t over. By Sharon Gregson 3 Jan 2018 | TheTyee.ca ‘The $10aDay campaign didn’t rely on massive funding. Success came because the child-care crisis across BC is so bad that people know there had to be a better way.’ As 2018 starts... Read more

Here's what $10aDay Child Care would mean for Maya


Kelly Sidhu interviews women about their Child Care situation

$10aDay Supporter Kelly Sidhu interviewed women in her local neighbourhood about their child care situation. Check it out: If you haven't already, please take 2 minutes to take action and help make sure Child Care is a top priority in the BC 2018 Budget: www.10aday.ca/budget2018

Taking the First Steps towards $10aDay Child Care in the BC 2018 Budget

Click here to send a letter to your local MLA and other key players in government, and let them know you expect action on child care to be a major part of BC's 2018 Budget. In BC’s 2017 provincial election, a majority voted for action on child care. Both the... Read more

Key Areas of Alignment on Child Care: BC Government and BC Green Caucus


Criteria For Success

Criteria for Assessing Government’s Progress On the Implementation of the $10aDay Child Care Plan Effective implementation actions and ongoing assessments of government’s progress should be consistent with key elements of the Community Plan for a Public System of Integrated Early Care and Learning – commonly known as the $10aDay Plan.... Read more

Your voice is urgently needed to ensure the 2018 BC Budget prioritizes investment into building a quality affordable child care system.

The Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services has invited British Columbians to provide input that will help shape next year’s provincial budget. British Columbians have until October 16th to participate, and it’s so easy to do with their online survey. To take part simply click here, and then choose the Complete a... Read more

Don't Let Semantics Stop Momentum on Child Care

The early days of a new government are always tough. There are many choices at hand, decisions to be made and voters to please. In the case of B.C., the agreement between the province’s NDP and the Green party adds a layer of intricacy that has not been present in... Read more

Sheila's Story

BC finally has a government that’s serious about solving the child care chaos. Here's Sheila's take on why it’s important that we continue to add our voices to the millions of other Canadians who know what needs to be done and how it can be accomplished. We in BC continually... Read more

Lori's Story

With kids aged 11 & 13, Lori is almost out of the horror of dealing with child care. With implementation of the $10aDay Plan, new parents in BC today will face fewer challenges down the road. Here's Lori's story about coping with BC's child care chaos. My children are now... Read more

Kasari's Story

While BC takes the first steps towards implementing the $10aDay Plan, BC families still face the child care crisis. Here's Kasari's story about dealing with BC's child care chaos. Kasari and her partner found out their son existed in the world when he was four days old. They adopted him... Read more

Susan's Feminist Call to Child Care

Implementation of the $10aDay Plan will result in more women in the workforce. Here’s Susan’s take on why it matters. What if we talked about women choosing to do paid work – and that was ok? A lot of us talk about the economic argument that we need child care... Read more

A Positive Start for the New Minister of Child Care in BC

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. Read more

Minister of State for Child Care - Mandate Letter

A Mandate Letter from Premier John Horgan to the new Minister of State for Child Care, Katrina Chen. Noteworthy and very important that the three main elements of the $10aDay Plan are provided as direction for the new Minister: Work with all levels of government, child-care providers, the private and...

Looking Forward to $10aDay Implementation!

After almost two months of uncertainty about BC’s political future, the Lieutenant Governor asked BC NDP leader John Horgan to form government. With the BC NDP’s commitment to implement the $10aDay Child Care Plan, the BC Green Party’s alignment on key aspects of the Plan, and the BC Liberals support... Read more

Today's BC Liberal Announcement

Families have been Waiting for 16 Years Throughout 16 years in government, the BC Liberals could have chosen to make quality child care available and affordable across the province. Instead, they allowed the crisis to grow, particularly over the last four years. While parent fees skyrocketed, the BC Liberal Government... Read more

Emily's Story

Many years ago I worked for a child care society that ran multiple child care programs in Northern BC and learned firsthand about the struggles small communities face in developing and maintaining trained Early Childhood Educators.  Read more

Federal Multilateral Agreement

Federal government releases first National Early Learning and Child Care Framework in over a decade: SMALL STEP FORWARD – MUCH MORE TO DO! After a decade with no federal leadership on child care, the release of a federal-provincial-territorial Agreement is welcome news but the political flux in BC means our... Read more

Liz's Story

My husband and I had been told that care would be difficult to secure so I started looking when I was pregnant. I was on contract work and when our daughter was 6 weeks old I had to start working again, for 12 hours a week. We were on every... Read more

BC Aboriginal Child Care Society

BCACCS renews the From Seed to Cedar campaign The From Seed to Cedar Campaign is a chance for leadership and communities to support the creation of the IELCC framework, and especially the Child Care Providers who work so hard both to help children thrive and communities to re-establish Indigenous cultures. This is...

Child Care A Top Priority

Child Care was the top election platform spending commitment for both the BC NDP and the BC Greens, so it should be a top priority as they implement their Agreement.   Recognizing the current child care chaos for BC families, the Greens and the NDP made election commitments to invest...

Majority of British Columbians Voted for Child Care

While the final seat count is not yet firm, one thing is clear - the majority of British Columbians voted for substantial new public investments in child care to: Make child care fees affordable Ensure quality child care is widely available Both the NDP and Greens made significant platform commitments to...

BC Liberals Expect Child Care Providers to Reduce Parent Fees

With no new public funds, BC Liberals Expect Child Care Providers to Reduce Parent Fees - Cut Caregiver Wages The BC Liberals say they will create 8,700 more child care spaces by 2020. To make child care more affordable for families, they expect providers to lower parent fees - on...

Kristen's Story

When I answered the phone, I thought we’d hit the jackpot. An open daycare space in Vancouver at a reasonable price? Amazing! Not the best location, but we could make it work. After all, it had been months of researching, making calls and applying for waitlists. And waiting. And waiting. ... Read more

Vancouver Dad's Story

The story of my family feels typically Vancouver. My wife and I are young professionals who, while not originally from this city, are hoping to stay here. But we’re not sure we will. Read more

Implementing the $10aDay Plan will make school-based Child Care Programs as secure as Grade 1

Media Release May 2, 2017   Statement on Child Care in Schools:  The recent Supreme Court ruling on classroom size and composition means that there will now be more teachers and smaller classes in BC schools. That’s great news! But, as a result, recent news stories indicate that some school-based... Read more

Since you asked...

Here's our response to two common questions about making access to affordable, quality child care a reality in BC. Read more

BC Election 2017 Child Care Report Card

Child Care in BC today is in chaos. Sky high parent fees. Spaces for only 20% of children. Poorly paid caregivers leaving the field. The broadly supported $10aDay Child Care Plan is the made-in-BC solution. It’s based on the best global evidence that highlights the need for public funding to... Read more

Sara's Story

I had some sense that finding child care would be difficult, so at the very beginning of my pregnancy I started calling everywhere. It was very stressful to be pregnant be told that there was no space. Nobody was able to tell me there would be a space. I just... Read more

12 Flawed Child Care Statements by the Fraser Institute

12 Flawed Child Care Statements by the Fraser Institute: Summary of Rebuttal from Quebec Economist Pierre Fortin  Fortin examines the 12 statements made by the Fraser Institute (FI) in a recent assessment of Quebec’s child care program. Fortin finds their underlying arguments are so flawed that the publication is “an... Read more

$10aDay Implementation Plan: 22,500 New Spaces, Affordable Child Care for 45,000 Families by 2020

Throughout 16 years in government, the BC Liberals could have chosen to make quality child care available and affordable across the province. Instead, they allowed the crisis to grow, particularly over the last four years. While parent fees skyrocketed, the BC Liberal Government consistently underspent their child care budget. They... Read more