Victoria – The B.C. NDP/Green government is moving forward with 53 prototype projects around the province to deliver child care that will cost families a maximum of $200 per month per child ($10 a day).
The prototype sites are the next major step in government’s 10-year ChildCare BC plan and will model what high-quality, affordable, universal child care may look like for B.C. families. The prototypes are being funded through an investment of $60 million under the Early Learning and Child Care (ELCC) Agreement with the Government of Canada. In all, parents of about 2,500 children will benefit from the prototype projects.
The Province selected the sites after a call for applications in June 2018. While priority was given to sites that had infant and toddler spaces, the Province has expanded eligibility to include other types of licensed child care.
However, the location of the sites were yet to be announced.
Parents who are not accessing these low-cost spaces may still be eligible for support through the Affordable Child Care Benefit, which provides up to $1,250 per child a month for families with an annual income of $111,000 or less. Families using licensed child care may also see savings through the Child Care Fee Reduction, which has so far helped to reduce the cost of almost 52,000 child care spaces throughout the province.
