WHEREAS the current lack of adequate, qualified and affordable daycare for working families in BC is hindering economic growth, job opportunities for workers and a childs well-being; AND WHEREAS in 2012 the Union of BC Municipalities endorsed the Community Plan for a Public System of Integrated Early Care and Learning in BC which provides a framework for early childhood services so that children, families, communities and our economy are served by a high quality, universal, democratic and accountable system of early care and learning: THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that UBCM advocate the Province of BC for the implementation of the Community Plan for a Public System of Integrated Early Care and Learning and call for action to begin steps toward implementing a 10Day Childcare Program for BC.
Ministry of Children Family Development The Ministry of Children and Family Development is unable to endorse a 10 a day child care plan. The estimated 1.5 billion investment required to implement this model province-wide is cost prohibitive, given the current economic environment in BC. The 1.5 billion funding estimate actually represents a minimum implementation cost. The proposed model only includes children from birth to age six and does not take into account unlicensed child care. Given that the Province currently supports child care for children up to age 12 in both licensed and unlicensed child care settings, implementing the model would actually require funding well beyond the 1.5 billion level. The Ministry supports other components of the Community Plan for a Public System of Integrated Early Care and Learning BC, including the need for better integration across child care, early childhood development and early learning services. The BC Early Years Strategy emphasizes a one government approach to addressing the need for increased access, affordability and quality of early years programs and services, including child care. In February 2014, government established the Provincial Office for the Early Years to ensure that early years activities and initiatives in BC are well-coordinated and accessible in communities across the province. The BC Early Years Strategy also focuses on improving the quality of early childhood development and child care programs and services. Key strategies include: implementing a network of Early Years Centres that will provide up-to-date information and core services to parents; introducing a provincial child care registry to better support parents seeking access to child care; and launching the Child Care Major Capital Program to support the creation of 13,000 new spaces throughout the province over the next eight years.