News & Stories: Policy Monitor

Excerpt: "Budget 2016 provides significant new investments in core programs while maintaining governments ongoing commitment to disciplined and prudent fiscal planning. Government is presenting balanced budget results in each year of the fiscal plan for the fourth year in a row."

Excerpt: "Students participating in early childhood education programs can apply for up to $300 per course, to a maximum of $1,500 per semester. Priority will be given to Aboriginal students, students attending programs with an Aboriginal focus and students working to achieve an infant/toddler educator designation."

Excerpt: "Families in 30 B.C. communities will soon benefit from 1,818 new licensed child-care spaces, thanks to a nearly $11.3-million investment from the Province through the Child Care Major Capital Funding Program, announced Minister of Children and Family Development Stephanie Cadieux from the BC Institute of Technology (BCIT) Student Association Child Care Centre."

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Excerpt: "To increase accessibility of child care, $20 million of that investment in 2017-18 will support the creation of up to 2,000 new, additional, child care spaces. These spaces are in addition to government’s current goal of creating 13,000 new licensed child care spaces between 2014 and 2020, announced as part of the B.C. Early Years Strategy."

Excerpt: "We will deliver a provincewide universal child care program that is safe, accessible and affordable. We will start by creating more spaces to help families waiting months or years for quality care and training more early childhood educators. And this fall, government will consult with families and child care providers on the best way forward."

Excerpt: "As well, to assist hard-working parents and guardians, to strengthen our economy, and to assist businesses with recruitment and retention, we’re moving forward with plans to provide a quality, accessible, and affordable child care plan for families. Our first step is moving forward with $20 million in new child care investments that will increase our spending on early childhood development and child care to $330 million this year and support more than 4,000 new child care spaces."

Excerpt: "The projects include 61 new builds and 42 renovations to create: 847 infant and toddler spaces; 535 spaces in Indigenous communities; 1,153 spaces on school grounds."

Excerpt: "Over three years, an investment of more than $1 billion dollars will set the Province on the path to a universal child care plan that will make child care affordable for parents and caregivers, creat more than 22,000 child care spaces across the province, and ensure those spaces meet rigorous quality and safety standards."

Excerpt: "The agreement allocates $153 million, over three years, to: create of 1370 new infant/toddler child care spaces through capital grants; provide operational funding to care providers to administer low-cost infant/toddler spaces and reduce parent fees for at least 1786 children; apply new streams of bursaries and grants to recruit and retain early childhood educators and support up to 4000 current and future educators in obtaining or upgrading their Early Childhood Educator certification; direct new funds into the existing systems to expand culturally-based Indigenous child care to create on- and off-reserve programming, 390 new spaces, and benefit approximately 590 families; and enhance inclusive programs for approximately 7278 children with special needs."

Excerpt: "With a $350,000 investment over three years, the B.C. government is helping UBC add a new part-time early childhood education (ECE) certificate program online for 72 students. The first group of 36 students will begin in September 2018 and the second will begin in January 2019."

Excerpt: "Early childhood educators (ECEs) who provide vital services to B.C. children will be better supported by a new recruitment and retention strategy as part of the Province’s ChildCare BC plan."