B.C. announces child care fee reductions ahead of back-to-school
Posted September 1, 2023 9:17 am.
The B.C. government has announced further fee reductions for childcare for preschool and school-aged children.
On Thursday, Premier David Eby announced families with children in eligible half-day preschool, as well as before and after-school programs will save as much as $145 per child per month.
“September can be tough, with back-to-school expenses on top of other essentials and groceries all going up because of global inflation. It’s a lot and people need a break,” Eby said.
Frances Pratt, a parent of twins attending half-day preschool, says the fee reduction will have “a huge impact” on their family’s monthly costs.
“Having the $115 fee reduction for each of our children means money in our pockets, taking a bit of pressure off our budget. Every little bit helps in these expensive times,” they stated in a provincial news release.
The province says it is providing the funding directly to childcare facilities participating in the Child Care Fee Reduction Initiative (CCFI). That means families with children at participating facilities will not have to apply for the savings.
As part of the CCFI, participating providers are required to cap annual fee increases at three per cent of the regional median for their area. The province says 94 per cent of eligible licensed centres are enrolled in the program.
Last December, the provincial government announced funding that aimed to save parents as much as $900 per month, per child through a partnership with the federal government.
