Whereas the federal government has committed 500 million in childcare funding for the 2017 budget; And whereas the BC government recognizes that BC childcare is in dire need of restructured spending and is implementing an Early Years Strategy: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM urge the provincial government to commit to implementing a universal daycare plan that creates new and affordable licensed day care spaces for infant and toddler care, for the benefit of families with an annual income below 40,000 and to include all communities in BC.
Ministry of Children and Family Development Government remains committed to supporting quality child care as a priority, and we continue to work closely with parents, communities and other partners to strengthen early childhood development, early learning, and child care through the Early Years Strategy. The BC Early Years Strategy the Strategy aims to address quality, affordability, access, and coordination of child care programs and services. The goals of the Strategy include ensuring that early years programs and services, including child care, are available to those families that need them; ensuring that services are of high quality and are evidence based; enabling parental choice through strategic and sustainable financial supports; and ensuring that government and community programs and policies are integrated to meet the needs of children. The goals of the Strategy can be achieved through identifying and filling gaps in BCs early years infrastructure, and examining the existing services and supports to ensure investments are made in a way that brings the greatest possible benefit to children and families. The BC Government currently supports families requiring child care through the Child Care Subsidy Program which is a monthly payment to assist eligible low-income families with the cost of child care. In 201516, approximately 20,000 children aged 0-12 were supported through the Child Care Subsidy Program each month. Also, in September 2015, the Single Parent Employment Initiative was launched supporting single parents on income and disability assistance helping them overcome barriers that are often faced trying to find a full-time job, or attending a training program. Child care costs during their training or work placement and in the first year of employment are included under this initiative. Further, upon completion of their training, single parents who are eligible for a child care subsidy will continue to have their full child care costs covered for one year after they leave school and enter the workforce. Government is currently working with FederalProvincialTerritorial partners to develop a multilateral Early Learning and Child Care ELCC Framework, with the expectation of receiving a portion of new federal funds beginning in 201718. Budget Canada 2016 allocated 400M nationally to support the implementation of an ELCC Framework with Provinces and Territories. It is expected that the Framework will form the overarching terms for bilateral funding agreements between the Government of Canada and Provinces and Territories.