ChildCareBC Bulletin

Edition 99, March 12, 2025

Archived editions

Canada–British Columbia Early Learning and Child Care Agreement Funding Extension

On March 6, the Government of Canada announced agreements with 11 of 13 provinces and territories to extend current early learning and child care agreements until March 31, 2031.  

This extension provides an additional $36.8 billion over five years and a 3% funding increase every year for four years, starting in 2027-28, to help provinces and territories respond to inflationary pressures. British Columbia will receive $5.38 billion in funding over five years (2026-27 to 2030-31) to support the stability of early learning and child care in B.C.

In July 2021, the Province became the first jurisdiction in Canada to sign the $3.2 billion Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement with the federal government. This milestone marked a significant achievement, highlighting our shared dedication and collaboration in creating a community-based child care system. In addition, B.C.’s Budget 2025 provides nearly $2.6 billion over three years to continue to implement the ChildCareBC plan.

Together, these investments will help families with child care costs, expand access to care and support the workforce and providers in delivering quality services to families living in B.C.

Update on the new My ECE Registry digital platform

On December 9, 2024, the Province launched the My ECE Registry, a new digital platform to streamline Early Childhood Educator (ECE) certification allowing ECEs to be able to track their application and renewal status in real time, at any time of the day, from any computer or mobile device.

As a new platform, My ECE Registry is regularly updated to improve accuracy and user experience. ECE Registry staff will continue to closely monitor the platform and address any technical issues as they arise.

All Registry users are asked to review their profiles for accuracy and contact the ECE Registry at 1-888-338-6622 if there are any issues. ECE Registry staff will work to resolve individual cases if they happen.

For updated information on any technical issues, those impacted will be contacted via email and updates can also be found on the Become an Early Childhood Educator web page.

We thank you for your continued patience and apologize for any inconvenience. 

Request for feedback: Proposed changes to Canada Student Loans Regulations and the Canada Student Financial Assistance Regulations

The Federal Secretariat on Early Learning and Child Care is seeking feedback on proposed changes to the Canada Student Loans Regulations and the Canada Student Financial Assistance Regulations.

The proposed amendments would offer commitment from the federal government to permanently expand the reach of the loan forgiveness benefit to those working in specified occupations, including early childhood educators in rural or underserved areas.

The loan forgiveness benefit amounts and eligibility requirements would be established to reflect time spent in post-secondary studies and the costs associated with these studies.

All comments and feedback must be submitted through the Canada Gazette Part 1  on or before March 17, 2025.

Reminder: Year Two of the Specialized Certification Grant for eligible ECEs

The Early Childhood Educator (ECE) Specialized Certification Grant, administered by the Early Childhood Educators of BC (ECEBC), recognizes Infant Toddler Educators and Special Needs Educators for their enhanced credentials and certification and incentivizes ECEs to upskill and obtain these specialized certificates.

This annual grant recognizes ECEs holding at least one specialized certificate currently working with children from birth to age five in a licensed child care or Aboriginal Head Start child care program and who have been working in the child care sector for at least 12 months. For more information on the ECE Specialized Certification Grant, including eligibility and how to apply, please visit the Specialized Certification Grant page on ECEBC’s website. 

Reminder: Share your child care stories with the ministry and the child care sector!

The work you do as child care providers, early childhood educators and sector partners play a critical role in providing education and care for young children throughout the Province.

With milestones like Child Care Month and the 100th edition of the ChildCareBC Bulletin approaching, we would like to hear about how you make an impact in your work and communities. This can include fun projects you have initiated, what your centre is up to or impactful stories you have from working in child care.  

We look forward to sharing submissions with your sector colleagues in future editions of the ChildCareBC Bulletin or other ministry publications.

Please send your stories and experiences to ChildCareBC.Engagement@gov.bc.ca, including any photos by March 14, 2025, extended from the original deadline of March 7. While we thank all those who submit their stories, not all submissions may be shared.