ChildCareBC Bulletin

Edition 116, May 14, 2026

Archived editions

Amendments to the Child Care Ministerial Order

The Child Care Ministerial Order sets the requirements for what public boards of education must include in their child care policies. The order has been removed and replaced with an updated version. Boards are now required to update their child care policies to include an annual process for identifying available space in elementary schools in their district to determine when and how space could be used for new or expanded child care programs. Boards are also required to engage with Indigenous Education Councils, in addition to board employees, families, and child care providers, when considering changes to child care on school grounds. This is part of the ministry's effort to work with our partners to use every tool in the toolbox to expand access to child care for families and fill a gap in before- and after-school care throughout the province.

2026-27 Child Care Provider Profile Survey now open

The 2026-27 Provider Profile Survey is now open. Information from the survey helps the ministry track child care trends in B.C. and helps inform future policy and program development.

Child care providers will receive an email with a link and instructions on how to complete the survey.

Please note the survey is a mandatory, annual data-gathering survey entirely separate from regular monthly reporting as well as broader surveys supporting engagement on ChildCareBC. The deadline to complete the survey is June 30, 2026.

Reminder: Virtual ChildCareBC Town Hall with Minister Beare

Early learning and child care professionals are invited to attend a virtual ChildCareBC town hall hosted by Minister of Education and Child Care Lisa Beare on May 20, 2026, from 6:00-7:00 pm.

The Minister and ministry executive will speak to recent child care progress in B.C. and highlight upcoming engagement opportunities, including how early learning and child care professionals can help inform the next steps and future direction of ChildCareBC. Participants will have an opportunity to share feedback during the event.

Please register using the link below, which will also be available on the ChildCareBC Engagement web page:

• Registration link: Virtual ChildCareBC Town Hall with Minister Beare

After registering, participants will receive details on how to join the virtual session. A recording will be posted online for those unable to attend.

Please note: this town hall is intended to support broad-level engagement with the Minister and is not designed to address detailed operational or technical questions.

We encourage you to share the registration link within your networks of early learning and child care professionals.

Reminder: Emergency Management Resource Package and Key Contacts 2026

To support emergency preparedness and planning across the education and child care sectors, the Ministry of Education and Child Care is sharing an updated emergency management resource package. These resources support preparedness, mitigation, response and recovery planning.

• The K-12 Education and Child Care: Emergency Management Key Contacts (PDF) lists current contacts at the ministry and other educational partners to support emergency response coordination and information sharing

• The K-12 Education and Child Care: Emergency Management Resource Package (PDF) 2026 includes key resources to help schools and child care facilities plan for, respond to, and recover from incidents/emergencies such as wildfires, heat events, floods or other risks

Child care providers are encouraged to review and share this information to help strengthen emergency readiness.

Questions may be directed to the ministry’s Expect Respect and a Safe Education (erase) team at erase@gov.bc.ca.

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