This spring, the BC government began to implement its long-term plan to bring universal child care to British Columbia. The first step of the plan involves the Child Care Fee Reduction Initiative. The initiative allows child care providers to receive additional operating funds from the government to reduce parent fees and is open to all full-time, licensed child care programs serving children under age 6. Some families will save up to $350 per month.
More than 80 per cent of child providers have opted in and more are opting in every day to reduce child-care fees for parents, said Katrina Chen, Minister of State for Child Care.
“We’re encouraged by the operators throughout the province who have signed on to reduce fees for parents,” said Chen. “We’re continuing to work directly with child-care providers to answer questions and get them signed up, so even more families will receive these savings.”
According to the Coalition of Child Care Advocates of BC (CCCABC), child care providers that opt-in have an opportunity to:
- play a key role in building a system of quality, affordable child care in BC and bring immediate relief to families
- receive additional funding to cover 100% of parent fee reductions
- receive a 10% lift in base operating funding (CCOF) currently provided by government to spend on other operational priorities, as they choose
Families whose providers registered for the initiative were excited, telling the CCCABC that the reductions would make a significant impact on their lives, including allowing them to increase debt repayment and afford improved housing for their family.
