Investments will boost child care for families

The BC government is rolling out more access to $10-a-day childcare spaces.

More than $62 million is being invested to create more than 750 new licensed child care spaces throughout B.C. through the accelerated space-creation programs. Once operational, the spaces will be eligible for the government’s fee reduction program.

Additionally, this month, 770 new spaces are opening at 22 child care centres throughout the province, including in Parksville.

The government says its focus was to prioritize new $10-a-day facilities in communities that do not yet have access to the $10 a Day ChildCareBC program and/or providers who serve low-income areas. Spaces in the $10 a Day ChildCareBC program reduce the average cost of child care for children five and younger from $1,115 a month for full-time, centre-based care to $200 a month for the same service, saving families an average of approximately $915 a month per child.

The Province says nearly $8 billion has been invested through ChildCareBC, resulting in more than 40,000 new child care spaces funded – more than 23,000 of which are open – and more than 16,000 $10-a-day child care spaces throughout B.C.