$10 Per Day Child Care is Coming to BC!
Throughout the pandemic, school and child care centre closures have been difficult for parents. Some have had to leave their jobs, or reduce their hours significantly. We know that without access to child care, parents - especially mothers - cannot fully participate in our economy. That’s why affordable child care is an economic issue as much as it is a family issue.
ICYMI:
Last week, the Liberal government announced an agreement with the provincial government to create $10/day childcare by 2026 in British Columbia! Under this agreement, the governments of Canada and BC will work together to improve access to quality, affordable, flexible, and inclusive early learning and child care programs and services.
By the end of 2022, we’ll see a 50% reduction in average fees for children under the age of 6 in regulated child care in BC. We’ll also see the creation of 30,000 new regulated early learning and child care spaces for children under the age of 6 within five years.
Mo’ Child Care, Mo’ Jobs!
Since women often bear the brunt of caregiving, creating more child care and early learning is a win-win. It provides more jobs, it enables parents, particularly mothers, to more fully participate in the economy, and it creates a generation of engaged and well prepared young learners.
Keeping More Money in Your Pocket:
Early learning and child care can be more expensive than university tuition, or even a rent or mortgage payment in the Fraser Valley. This sky-high cost is a tax on a segment of the population that Canada needs to drive economic growth.
Early education and childcare should not be a luxury only for those that can afford it. The current system is leaving too many children and families behind, particularly low-income and racialized families. Every child deserves a fair start.
Too many young families are juggling sky-high housing costs, the increasing cost of living, and saving up for their retirements while struggling to manage child care fees. Parents shouldn’t have to choose between a career and childcare. That’s why the Liberal government is making life more affordable for young families.
Early Learning is Important
Canadian studies have shown that early learning is at least as important to lifelong development as elementary, secondary, and post-secondary education. It improves graduation rates, promotes lifelong well-being, boosts lifetime earnings, and increases social equity. Moreover, studies show that for every dollar invested in early childhood education, the broader economy receives between $1.50 and $2.80 in return.
Looking Ahead
The federal government will work with provincial, territorial, and Indigenous partners to build a Canada-wide, community-based system of quality child care across Canada. This will be a transformative project, on a scale of the work of previous generations, who built our public school system. This is a legacy investment for today's children who will not only benefit from but also inherit this system.
