On Monday, the B.C. government announced funding for 1,370 new $10 per day daycare spaces at 18 locations across B.C.
The $10 per day rate came into effect on Nov. 1 for the existing daycare providers. The furthest north was in Williams Lake, where the Williams Lake and District Daycare Society received funding for 32 $10 per day spaces (16 for infants and toddlers and 16 for preschool age children).
"I'm absolutely thrilled to have our centre become a $10-a-day centre,” Williams Lake and District Group Daycare administrator Linda Bond said. “It's been so amazing letting our families know about being chosen for this program - they've almost universally gone from confusion, to disbelief, to relief and finally to excited planning! This will alleviate so much stress for many of our families and allow them to provide so many more opportunities for their children now, as well as in the future."
For Williams Lake resident Danelle Fuller, a mother of two children at the daycare centre, the savings will be “life changing for our family.”
The average cost in B.C. for full-time childcare is $1,000 per month, according the B.C. Ministry of Education and Child Care, resulting in an average $800 per month savings per child.
Currently there are 15 $10 per day daycare centres with a combined 530 spaces in the Northern Health region, including two in Prince George operated by the YMCA of Northern B.C.
PRINCE GEORGE HAS FEWER $10 CENTRES THAN SIMILAR CITIES
With only two $10 per day daycare centres, Prince George has fewer than many other comparable-size cities in B.C.
With Monday’s announcement, Kelowna and North Vancouver will each have nine, Naniamo will have five and Langley will have three, according to the B.C. government website. Kamloops has two, the same as Prince George, Delta only one and Saanich none, although neighbouring Victoria has eight. The City of Prince George uses those eight communities when making comparisons for wages, tax levels and city council remuneration.
Daycares offering licensed child care to children five and younger were eligible to apply to take part in the $10 per day programs. The cut off for applications was Aug. 18.
Additional consideration was given to daycares in communities that do not currently have a $10 per day site and communities with a low number of $10 daycare spaces relative to the population density, the statement issued by the ministry said.
The provincial government is expected to announce funding for more $10 per day daycare centres over the coming months, and more $10 per day daycare centres in the north may be announced later. The province is looking to increase the number of $10 per day spaces from 6,500 in April to 12,500.
Monday’s announcements bring the number of $10 per day spaces in B.C. to nearly 8,200.
The program is a partnership between the provincial and federal government, which contributed $3.2 billion for child care in B.C. over five years.
MORE HELP COMING DEC. 1
In addition to the new $10 per day spaces, the provincial government, with federal financial support, will help approximately 69,000 B.C. families who are not part of the $10 per day program.
Starting on Dec. 1, child care fee reductions of up to $550 per per child month will come into effect. These savings are in addition to the $350 per month per child that families have been saving through the province’s Child Care Fee Reduction Initiative since 2018.
Families making up to $111,000 per year may be eligible to receive additional child care support through the Affordable Child Care Benefit. Families making under $45,000 per year receive the maximum benefit and pay nothing for child care.
