ChildCareBC Bulletin

Edition 82, April 4, 2024

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Update: New Spaces Fund

Response to the 2023-2024 New Spaces Funding opportunity has been very positive, with an unprecedented volume of applications received.

The New Spaces Fund team is diligently reviewing applications received to ensure a fair and thorough assessment. Funding decisions are made based on program priorities and funding availability, and these applications will take some time to process.

The next program intake is expected to open in spring 2024. When the fund reopens, all other eligible public sector applicants will apply to the ChildCareBC New Spaces Fund through the existing application process. 

In the meantime, school districts can start preparing their capital plans for child care using the expanded Capital Asset Planning System (CAPS) starting April 8, 2024. Submissions will be accepted until May 15, 2024. To help ensure fair and equitable access to capital funding, school district requests will be considered at the same time as other applications to the New Spaces Fund.

More information will be communicated before the 2024-25 New Spaces Fund intake officially opens.

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New Child Care Resource and Referral Centres

The general solicitation for new Child Care Resource and Referral Centre (CCRR) service providers is now complete, with all applicants being informed of the outcomes. The ministry has applied best practices at every step of the process to ensure the new contracts were awarded in a competitive, fair, and transparent manner. New contracts took effect on April 1, 2024.

CCRR service areas are being updated to align with school district areas. These changes will better integrate child care into the broader learning environment and help build child care connections in communities. 

CCRR services will continue to be located throughout the province, growing from 42 locations previously to 68 primary and satellite locations now. Mobile and virtual services will also be available, increasing access to resources and support for child care needs. A list of all CCRR centres is available on the Child Care Resource and Referral Centres web page.

CCRRs actively connect families with child care service, providing tailored referrals to child care providers and community support. Families benefit from access to high-quality resources and lending libraries, equipping them with essential tools for child development. Families also benefit from workshops and convenient drop-in programs. 

For child care providers, CCRRs offer ongoing training sessions and networking opportunities to enhance their skills and services. Providers receive support services and consultations to foster quality and inclusive care, including workshops, training, and networking events. They also have access to supportive program outreach, lending libraries and referrals to community resources.  

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Update: Regional Coordinator positions at Child Care Resource and Referral Centres

Child Care Resources and Referral Centre (CCRR) regional supports will continue to be provided by CCRR host agencies who have provided these services in the past.

Contracts for these services will be renewed for one year, from April 1, 2024 to March 31, 2025.

The Regional Coordinator service roles have been redefined and renamed Service Area Coordinators as of April 1, 2024, to align with the new service areas identified in the recent CCRR solicitation. These positions have played a valuable role in supporting providers, child care professionals and helping British Columbians find child care.

We thank the regional coordinators for their passion and commitment, and for the important contributions they make to the child care story in British Columbia.

The following agencies will be providing Service Area Coordinator services from April 1, 2024, to March 31, 2025:

Fraser - Chilliwack Community Services

Vancouver Coastal - North Shore Community Resources

Interior - Kootenay Kids Society

Northern - Northwest Child Development Centre Society

Vancouver Island - Clements Centre for Families

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School District capital plans for child care

School districts can start preparing their capital plans for child care using the expanded Capital Asset Planning System (CAPS) beginning April 8, 2024. Submissions for 2024-25 will be accepted until May 15, 2024. School districts will also be able to prepare and submit their 2025-26 funding requests starting April 8, 2024.

To help ensure fair and equitable access to capital funding, school district requests will be considered alongside applications to the New Spaces Fund. For more information, refer to the 2024-25 Capital Plan Instructions, which will be updated and posted to the Capital Planning web page the week of April 2, 2024.

This change supports better alignment with current school district processes and makes it easier to plan for and create more child care spaces on school grounds for families. It will also help the ministry consider school district child care projects alongside other education projects.

School districts with questions about the process or capital concept development can contact the Capital Management Branch’s Child Care Regional Director and Planning Officer team. School districts with questions about child care operational planning and programming can contact the Child Care Development Support team at ccdevsupport@gov.bc.ca.

All other eligible public sector applicants can apply to the ChildCareBC New Spaces Fund through the existing application process starting in spring 2024.

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New $10 a Day ChildCareBC Centres open

More families in British Columbia are saving thousands of dollars every year as over 930 child care spaces move into the $10 a Day ChildCareBC program in March and April, bringing the total number of $10-a-day spaces in B.C. to over 15,000.

These spaces help reduce costs for families and further develop access to high-quality, affordable child care as a core service. Spaces in the $10 a Day ChildCareBC program reduce the average cost of child care from $1,120 a month for full-time, centre-based care to $200 a month for the same service, saving families an average of approximately $920 a month per child.

With these newly converted spaces offered at 27 additional child care centres throughout the province, B.C. now has 15,311 $10 a Day ChildCareBC spaces, surpassing its goal of 15,000 spaces and on track to achieve the next goal of 20,000 spaces by spring 2026.

The expansion of the $10-a-day program represents further progress in partnership with the federal government under the Canada-British Columbia Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement to support the goal of ensuring families can access high-quality, affordable and inclusive early learning and child care.

To support the creation of more child care spaces and help more B.C. families access child care, the federal government has committed an additional $47 million over three years through the Child Care Infrastructure Fund. This new funding will support non-profit, public and or Indigenous-led organizations to build or maintain child care facilities, particularly in underserved communities and is in addition to the existing ChildCareBC New Spaces Fund.

Since 2018, the Province has invested $4.3 billion in the 10-year ChildCareBC plan to build a future where affordable, inclusive and quality child care is a core service that families can rely on. 

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Reminder: Waitlist fees no longer permitted at government-funded child care centres

Effective April 1, 2024, families who are looking for licensed child care can no longer be charged a fee to put their children on a waitlist.

Eliminating waitlist and waitlist-related fees at government-funding child care centres makes access to child care more equitable for all families and is another way that government is reducing the cost of child care. Through B.C.’s child care affordability programs, government has brought the average daily cost of child care for children 12 and under down to $18 from $42.

In addition to the more than 15,000 spaces in $10 a Day ChildCareBC program, approximately 128,000 families are saving up to $900 per month per child through the fee reduction program. When combined with the income-tested Affordable Child Care Benefit, many families are paying $10 a day or less for child care, including those not participating in the $10 a Day program.

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2024-25 Early Childhood Educator Wage Enhancement Statutory Benefit change

Effective April 1, 2024, the Early Childhood Educator Wage Enhancement (ECE-WE) additional funding for statutory benefits increased from 19.70% to 19.95%. This increase reflects the inclusion of National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in the provincial holidays that are funded by the statutory benefits amount. In alignment with all other provincial holidays, providers will no longer need to claim ECE-WE hours on National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is observed on September 30, 2024. Providers should review Schedule D of their 2024-25 CCOF Funding Agreement for information related to ECE-WE payments.

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