With the B.C. government moving forward on an ambitious $1 billion child care program, the province’s health minister is trying to allay concerns that there won’t be enough spaces available.
Tuesday’s budget created two new subsidies for parents — one that will directly lower fees at child care facilities, the other, a new care benefit of up to $1,250 per child.
The catch, however, is that in both cases, the money only applies to licensed child care providers.
That provision has many parents whose kids are currently enrolled in unlicensed care worried that they will be left out.
At present, the majority of B.C. kids are not in licensed care, according to Finance Minister Carole James.
On Thursday, Health Minister Adrian Dix said the province is taking steps to try to speed up the licensing process.
“There’s going to be new resources for licensing because there’s going to be more licensed daycares to oversee, and there’s a licensing process that requires more people, so we are moving on that,” Dix said.
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The budget said the province would encourage unlicensed providers to obtain provincial accreditation, including start-up grants to offset licensing costs.
But specifics on incentives remain unclear.
Dix said the province is committed to speeding up the process.
“It wouldn’t be correct to have long wait times to go through the licensing process if we are encouraging people to go through the licensing process,” he said.
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The NDP’s plan calls for the creation of 22,000 new child care spaces within three years.
The province has estimated that the new program will apply, at least partially, to 86,000 families by 2021, and that some low-income families could see the entire cost of care covered.