ChildCareBC Bulletin

Edition 115, May 1, 2026

Archived editions

May is Child Care Month

May 2026 is Child Care Month in B.C. (PDF) and Friday, May 8 is Child Care Provider Appreciation Day. Child Care Month is a time to recognize and celebrate the essential work you do to support children, families and communities. Your dedication, expertise and compassion create safe, nurturing environments where children can learn, grow and thrive. This month highlights the profound impact your work has on early learning and on the long-term well-being of families throughout the province. We are deeply grateful for your ongoing commitment, resilience, and professionalism in a field that is both challenging and incredibly meaningful.

Thank you for everything you do. Your contributions strengthen the foundation of our communities every single day. You can read Minister Beare’s statement for Child Care Month. The ministry looks forward to engaging with families and child care professionals throughout May on the future of child care in B.C.

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.

Emergency Management Resource Package and Key Contacts 2026

Emergency Preparedness Week is May 3 - 9, 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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