The governments of Canada and British Columbia are making significant investments in early learning and child care systems to improve children’s continuous development and support them in reaching their full potential.

“Across Canada, raising a family can be costly. That is no different in British Columbia. Our government is committed to helping alleviate that burden on Canadian families. The early learning and child care bilateral agreement signed today will further enable collaborative effort to help parents make ends meet and give all children a fair and equal chance to succeed.”
– The Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development

“Today’s agreement between Canada and British Columbia is a big step towards ensuring that our children get the best start in life, and in delivering better child care for British Columbia families.”
– Jonathan Wilkinson, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change

“We are committed to making life more affordable for B.C. families. We know if we’re to deliver on this commitment, we need strong backing from our federal partners. This funding offers much-needed support as we begin to implement universal child care in B.C.”
– The Honourable John Horgan, Premier of British Columbia

“Introducing universal child care is going to be one of the most significant policy changes in B.C. history. Improving the system is going to take significant resources and require partnerships like this one with the federal government in order to be successful. The early years play a key role in a child’s development, and this federal investment will allow us to better support children, parents and those who work in early childhood education so that B.C. families can access high-quality care, wherever they are in the province.”
– The Honourable Katrine Conroy, Minister of Children and Family Development for British Columbia

“The B.C. government believes that every parent deserves to be able to access quality and affordable care for their child. Families across the province will benefit from our partnership with the federal government. This funding, along with our own investments in child care, will allow us to make child care more accessible for low-income families and provide focused funding in areas of need, including more Indigenous and inclusive child-care spaces.”
– The Honourable Katrina Chen, Minister of State for Child Care

• Federal Budgets 2016 and 2017 proposed to invest $7.5 billion over 11 years, starting in 2017–18, to support and create more high-quality, affordable child care across the country, particularly for families in need. Of this investment:

  o   $95 million will go towards closing data gaps to better understand child care challenges and needs and track progress;

  o   $100 million will go towards early learning and child care innovation; and

  o   a portion will be dedicated to strengthening culturally appropriate early learning and child care for Indigenous children.

• The federal government is working with each province and territory to enter into three-year bilateral agreements that will address the early learning and child care needs unique to its jurisdiction and funding allocation. Bilateral agreements with eight other provinces and territories have been announced: Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Nunavut, Ontario, Prince Edward Island and Yukon. 

• Through the bilateral agreements, the Government of Canada will provide provinces and territories with $1.2 billion, over the next three years, for early learning and child care programs. Governments will report annually on progress made in relation to the Framework and bilateral agreements. 

• In addition, a separate Indigenous Framework on Early Learning and Child Care is being co-developed with Indigenous partners to reflect the unique cultures and needs of First Nations, Inuit and Métis children and families.

• The British Columbia action plan identifies key priority areas for investment, over three years, aligning with the Multilateral Early Learning and Child Care Framework. They are:

  ·        addresses shortages of licensed child care spaces;

  ·        fee reductions for parents;

  ·        quality enhancements to licensed child care programs;

  ·        extra support and services for underserved communities; and

  ·        inclusive, alternative care options for children with special  needs.

Related products

• Backgrounder: Canada-British Columbia Early Learning and Child Care Agreement

Associated links

• Multilateral Early Learning and Child Care Framework

Émilie Gauduchon-Campbell
Press Secretary
Office of the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, P.C., M.P.
Minister of Families, Children and Social Development
819-654-5546

Kirsten Lauvaas
Communications Manager
Government of British Columbia
Ministry of Children and Family Development
250 356-1553

Media Relations Office
Employment and Social Development Canada
819-994-5559

media@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca
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