British Columbia expands $10 a Day programs and announces new spaces

British Columbia has announced two developments in the expansion of child care spaces across the province of BC. 

Through the ChildCareBC plan, which began in 2018, $62 million is being invested under the 2024-25 New Spaces Fund to create more than 750 new licensed child care spaces throughout BC. The spaces contribute to more than 40,000 that have been funded through the plan, with 23,000 operational.  

The government also announced the successful applicants of the most recent round of funding for $10 a Day spaces. From March 1 to April 1, 770 spaces at 22 child care programs throughout BC will move to $10 a Day. This contributes to a total of 16,000 $10 a Day spaces across the province (out of a current total of 159,000 licensed spaces in BC). 

This most recent round of funding through the New Spaces Fund prioritizes communities that have not yet had access to $10 a Day child care, including programs and providers that serve low-income areas. 

This funding announcement has been anticipated for months. As Sharon Gregson, from the Coalition of Child Care Advocates of BC commented, “It’s incredibly disappointing that all they’re announcing after this long wait is another 770 $10 a Day spaces and another 750 new-build spaces.”

Read the News release here.

Read more about $10 a Day ChildCareBC centres here.

Read more about ChildCareBC New Spaces Fund here.

Read more about the community-developed $10aDay Plan here.