Single mother’s struggle highlights B.C.’s childcare challenges

Maria Torres, a single mother and student, faced an impossible choice: leave her daughter in Mexico or abandon her dreams in B.C.?

Torres immigrated to the province as an international student in 2021. After arriving in Vancouver, feeling hopeful for herself and her daughter Scarlett, she was met with a harsh reality.

“I needed the daycare for July 2024, and they said no, it’s impossible,” she said.

Torres’ story exposes the province’s childcare challenges, with long waitlists and limited affordable options, pushing parents to the brink.

She says the process of trying to find accessible and affordable childcare for her daughter has been gruelling and emotional. Without family or friends here, she was left with few options.

“It was frustrating, to be honest. I applied since I was pregnant to many places, and there’s a whole list for $10-a-day daycare, which I wanted,” she said.

“But those places are like winning a lottery.”

As she was running out of time and options, Torres considered leaving her daughter with family in Mexico while she pursued her degree. She says this is a harsh reality that many other parents are dealing with.

“They have to choose now, to be a stay-at-home parent, so they have to choose between that or work,” she said.

“So maybe if they decide to stay home with their child, they’re practically quitting on their dreams as well.”

Despite her triumph through a single mother’s program, many families still wait for change.

After months of waiting, Torres and her daughter were accepted into a daycare program for single mothers. She recently graduated with a business degree as a result.

But some other parents in the province aren’t so lucky.

Lorraine Evans, the director of childcare services at the YWCA, says only 10 per cent of childcare services in B.C. fall under the $10-a-day program.

“The average wait time for childcare is 20 months,” she said.

“Some children are on the waitlist, and they’re in kindergarten, Grade 1, and their name hasn’t been called.”

She says, along with wait times, another major issue is the lack of staffing, and she says the only way to solve that is more funding from the provincial and federal governments.

“There are some challenges with opening up spaces, and so if we have more funds, we can open up those spaces and get more training and meet the needs of the province,” Evans said.

Meanwhile, as Maria and Scarlett move forward together, countless families across B.C. still wait, hoping for a system that’s accessible to everyone.