By Sarah Wegelin
The provincial government is implementing goals to improve child care for families as planned, starting with decreasing service fees in April.
Service providers and parents in Golden say they are pleased to see the upcoming changes as it will benefit families accessing child care services in the community.
“When you consider the cost of full time child care per month is usually the equivalent to a mortgage payment, the staff at Mountain Child Early Learning and Care Centre (MCELCC) are very excited to see the recent changes in child care subsidy for B.C.,” says Shelley Zajsek, Program Director for MCELCC.
New child care improvements announced by the provincial government include lowering child care costs through reducing fees for licensed child care providers, which began in April; implementing affordable child care benefits by increasing the allowable household annual income to over $100,000 to allow more families to access benefits starting in September; and creating new child care spaces and flexibility through start-up grants for non-licenced facilities and enhanced funding to encourage licenced child care facilities to extend business hours.
Zajsek explains families who use the facilities at MCELCC saw immediate relief with the Child Care Fee Reduction Program implemented by the provincial government in April. Through the program, local facilities, including MCELCC, Beate’s Play Corner, Cheryl’s Family Day Care, and Kellie’s Family Day Care have reported opting in through an application process to receive extra funding to reduce fees by up to $350 per month for group infant and toddler care; $200 per month for family infant and toddler care; $100 per month for group care for children aged three to Kindergarten; and $60 per month for family care for children aged three to Kindergarten.
Pam Tetrault, owner of Golden Day Care says they are working on opting in to the program and plan to take advantage of the programs the government offers to improve the facilities and help families.
“We are interested in accessing whatever the government has to offer to help families and give more support if our business can access it,” Tetrault says, adding that the demands in Golden have not changed since they first opened the doors to offer child care services to families three and a half years ago.
“We still have a wait list, there’s still a need in the community,” Tetrault explains. “There’s lots of demands, not quite enough spaces and not quite enough staff.”
Currently, Golden Day Care is taking an interest list for its preschool program, as demands for day care services are higher than preschool needs. Yet, preschool spaces are quite full, she explains. With new government programs assisting families to access services, they need to have the staff and facilities to provide the demand as it increases with affordable care.
“Looking ahead to September 2018, the new Affordable Child Care Benefit will begin to offer even more savings to families. As the Affordable Child Care Benefit is phased in, it will offer higher payments and be available to more of our families. Most of our families have double incomes and this makes them ineligible for the B.C. Child Care Subsidy program. The new Child Care Benefit will help offset the cost of child care fees for all families,” says Zajsek.
In February 2018 the provincial government released the Child Care B.C. Caring for Kids, Lifting Up Families, Path to Universal Child Care report outlining plans to address the need for affordable care and increase services for families with the goal to allow parents to work and get ahead if they choose.
Jennifer Judd, a mom of two and school teacher,says without the decrease in fees it would not be worth her return to work. She says if it wasn’t for the decrease in fees she would be working for free.
Zajsek explains the current changes being implemented is a show of “good faith.”
“B.C. is like many provinces where there is shortage of qualified early childhood education professionals. We are hopeful that these first steps towards universal child care will help create an atmosphere of respect for our profession and the future of early childhood education and care,” Zajsek says.
