The cost of preschool and before- or after-school care in British Columbia is about to get cheaper for parents.
Starting Sept. 1, the province is rolling out a new subsidy program that will reduce the cost of such programs by up to $145 per child per month, B.C. Premier David Eby said Thursday.
“This is a made-in-B.C. solution that is going to support thousands of families in our province. In fact, 43,000 kids and their families are going to benefit from this program,” Eby said.
The $76.5 million program is not means tested, with subsidies varying depending on the type of care parents are accessing.
Preschoolers will be eligible for fee reduction of up to $95. Kids in a centre-based child-care program will be eligible for a reduction of up to $115 and those at a home-based program will be eligible for up to $145.
The new program is in addition to previous fee reductions of up to $900 per month for some families of children who are kindergarten-aged or younger.
The new program will fund child-care operators directly, meaning parents will not have to apply for the subsidy.
Child-care operators that join the program will also get a boost in operational funding, which can be used to increase wages, cover administration costs or for other expenses.
BC NDP Minister of State for Child Care Grace Lore said the province’s focus on child care is benefiting the economy, with three-quarters of new job growth last year among women.
“Affordable quality child care is life-changing for families. It supports parents’ employment and economic stability, it supports children’s development and education, and it’s good for our communities and the economy as a whole,” she said.
“Having child care on school grounds just makes sense. It makes sense it makes sense for families, it makes transitions easier for kids, and that’s why we are prioritizing child care as we build and replace schools.”
The NDP government says it has funded the creation of 32,000 new child-care spaces, about 13,000 of which are actually open and operating.
Lore said about 11,000 of those spaces are on school grounds.
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