Whereas the Ministry of Education and Child Care is responsible for BCs 10day childcare program, and Child Care BCs growing system of universal childcare has been life-changing for families, with demand far outstripping supply; And whereas the current grant-based process to expand universal childcare relies on grant applicants to coordinate all aspects of design and implementation, and local and Indigenous governments and nonprofit organizations often lack the resources to successfully manage this process in accordance with UBCM-funded childcare needs assessments and action plans: Therefore be it resolved that that while the Province continues to rely on individual grant applicants to plan and develop child care expansion, that instead, the Province provide multi-year funding to local and Indigenous governments and nonprofit organizations to support resources to coordinate this process; And be it further resolved that UBCM urge the Ministry of Education and Child Care to replace the current grant-based application process with a systematic expansion of universal childcare that upholds UNDRIP obligations and supports the involvement of, but does not rely on, local and Indigenous governments and nonprofit organizations to coordinate design and implementation.
Ministry of Education and Child Care The Province of British Columbia is committed to building child care as a core service available to every family that wants it, when they need it, at a price they can afford. The Province has invested in expanding access to child care through funding the creation of new child care spaces supported by both provincial and federal funding. Significant grant funding has been invested to support long-term community investments for infrastructure, including for child care centres owned by local governments and First Nations. The Ministry recognizes that not-for-profit, public, and Indigenous organizations may require additional support to complete grant-based applications. The Ministry is actively exploring options to meet this need and continues to adjust based on feedback from partner groups. Most recently, in summer 2023, the Ministry engaged with external partners, to inform next steps within the approach to funding space creation, including the development of child care facility design standards. The development of child care as a core service represents one of the biggest social policy changes in recent history and changes of this scale and nature take time. The Ministry is aware that many more families need access to child care as a core service and that this will require collective efforts by all levels of government including First Nations, community organizations and child care providers. As BC moves into the final years of the ten-year ChildCareBC Plan, the Ministry will continue to engage and consult with the child care sector, advocates and First Nations, Mtis and Inuit Peoples and Indigenous partner organizations to help inform the ongoing implementation of the ChildCareBC Plan.