New year, more $10-a-day child care spots in B.C.

More than 1,300 child care places in B.C. are moving into the province’s ChildCareBC program this month, and will now cost $10-a-day.

The province says beginning January, 1,375 more places will come online, helping to reduce costs further for families in B.C.

“Affordable child care can be life-changing, and with these new $10-a-day spaces, we continue our work to make life more affordable for families with more spaces converted in the next few weeks,” Grace Lore, minister of state for child care, said.

“The recent child care savings and the $10-a-day ChildCareBC program are some of the ways we are making child care more affordable and allowing parents – especially mothers – to pursue opportunities, and achieve financial independence and security, which benefits families, our communities and the economy as a whole.”

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The province says with the $10-a-day program, the average cost of child care is reduced from $1,000 per month for full-time care, to about $200 a month for the standard of care.

The newly added places in January bring the total spaces in the $10-a-day program to almost 12,000 places offered at 35 childcare centres around the province.

“Our governments are making access to affordable, high-quality, flexible and inclusive child care a reality,” Karina Gould, federal minister of families, children, and social development said. “Through our transformative investments, we remain focused on making life more affordable for families and giving every child the best possible start in life.”

The government says more spaces will be announced in the coming weeks to meet its goal of 12,500 places by February 2023.