B.C. Premier David Eby said the province remains committed to its $10-a-day childcare program as the latest numbers show it is falling short of its goal.
In last week’s provincial budget, $1.9 billion was earmarked for the program but more than half of that is coming from the federal government.
The province had promised to boost funding by $250 million per year, creating 22,000 new child-care spaces by 2023 but neither of those targets have been met.
“We’re one of the national leaders around Canada when it comes to child care and we’re really proud of that,” Eby said at a press conference on Monday, adding that the provincial government isn’t amending its commitment to the program at this time.
The federal government’s funding commitment to the B.C. childcare program is set to expire in 2026.
But Eby said the program is about more than just money.
He said there are two components of child care: affordability and availability.
“One of the biggest challenges, though, is in finding qualified professionals to do this child care work,” he said.
“Funding the physical spaces is one thing, but making sure the workers are there to deliver the care is another.”