$20 million for child care
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The province has stepped up efforts to help BC’s licensed child care providers who are grappling with the burden of staffing shortages and additional costs as the COVID-19 pandemic drags on.
The $20 million comes in the form of one-time grants and addresses concerns raised by vendors about the ramp-up of the Omicron variant.
“Childcare professionals are at the heart of childcare services and they have been working tirelessly since the start of the pandemic. As a parent of a young child, I know firsthand the huge difference their support makes to families and communities,” said Katrina Chen. , Minister of State for Early Childhood.
“We are committed to meeting the needs of child care providers in this ever-changing situation. These new grants will help child care providers continue to keep children safe and healthy by funding COVID-related staffing, supplies and cleaning needs.
Authorized providers are eligible for a grant of $160 per space based on the facility’s maximum capacity. Money is expected to start flowing by mid-February to centers that receive Child Care Operating Funding (CCOF) and those that participate as $10-a-day ChildCareBC sites (formerly prototype universal childcare sites).
“Ensuring daycares continue to be safe spaces for children and professionals is a top priority,” Chen said. “That’s why, since the spring of 2020, we’ve provided more than $320 million in temporary emergency funding and, with that, more than $73 million in health and safety grants. We will continue to support child care providers through the pandemic as we work on our ChildCareBC plan to make child care a core service available to every family who wants it, when they need it, an affordable price. »
The announcement follows a virtual information session for childcare professionals and parents featuring the Minister, along with Dr. Bonnie Henry and other public health officials on January 26, 2022. A link to the video of the session is available here.
