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Early learning and child care engagement

Last updated on September 20, 2024

B.C. is committed to supporting families and the well-being, care and education of children. We're transforming quality, inclusive child care into a core service available to every family who needs it, at an affordable price.

On this page

The vision for child care in British Columbia

  • Government is committed to child care as a core service that families can rely on at a cost of $10 a day or less
  • Child care in British Columbia will be accessible and inclusive, supporting all families and all children
  • Child care in British Columbia will provide families with choice – available on and off school grounds and provided by a mix of not-for-profit, public, private, family, and Indigenous providers
  • ChildCareBC is a publicly funded and coordinated system of child care offered by many operators and available in a variety of settings
  • There will be increased access to child care that promotes and honours connections to culture and language for First Nations, Métis, and Inuit families

Get involved

We want to hear from you

As the Province advances its ChildCareBC Plan, the Ministry of Education and Child Care wants to hear from a broad range of child care partners – from child care providers, community service partners, Indigenous governing bodies, parent organizations, school districts and child care advocates. We value your input and would like to know what you think is most critical as we continue to evolve early learning and child care in British Columbia.

I have questions

Email us: ChildCareBC.Engagement@gov.bc.ca

Ways to participate

Subscribe to this page to be notified of upcoming participation opportunities.

Active and upcoming engagements

Check back for future engagement opportunities.

Engagements to date

In December 2021, we began a series of activities to hear directly from B.C.’s child care partners. Below is a summary of the engagements and information sessions completed so far.

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2024

Inclusive Child Care Strategy Engagement 

What was it? A series of engagements with individuals and groups across the sector to gain a deeper understanding of the existing barriers and opportunities to increasing access to child care for those who are experiencing inequity, including children with support needs. These shared experiences and insights have informed the development of the goals and early actions described in the Inclusive Child Care Strategy.

The “Equity, Inclusion and Child Care in B.C.: Engagement Report” is available on the Inclusive child care resources and supports page. Further engagement and consultation will remain ongoing to inform progress toward inclusive child care as a core service.

Additional Resources: Inclusive Child Care Toolkit

Engagement on Indigenous early learning and child care

What was it? An engagement series with the Ministry of Education and Child Care together with First Nations Health Authority, BC Aboriginal Child Care Society, Aboriginal Head Start Association of BC, Métis Nation BC, and the BC Association of Aboriginal Friendship Centres. Indigenous child care providers, managers and leaders were invited to gather to discuss challenges and opportunities in Indigenous child care in B.C.

When were they?

  • Nanaimo, February 14-15, 2024
  • Campbell River, February 22-23, 2024
  • Vancouver, February 27-28, 2024
  • Kelowna, March 5-6, 2024
  • Virtual session on Zoom, March 7, 2024
  • Terrace, April 17-18, 2024
  • Abbotsford, April 30-May 1, 2024
  • Cranbrook, May 29, 2024
  • Prince George, June 6-7, 2024
  • Virtual session on Zoom, June 11, 2024

Early Childhood Educators of BC Annual Conference

What was it? The Early Childhood Educators of BC Annual Conference hosted workshops, inspiring speakers and group activities to provide early childhood educators (ECE) with an opportunity to expand their own knowledge and skill set as well as to grow and develop as leaders in their communities. It allowed ECE’s to connect with others around the province and celebrate the work they do and the impact they have on the children of our communities.

When was it? May 23-25, 2024, Richmond, B.C.

ChildCareBC Provider Appreciation Town Hall with Minister Dean

What was it? Minister of State for Child Care, Mitzi Dean, hosted a town hall to express appreciation for all those in the child care sector and to celebrate the incredible work happening throughout B.C. Attendees brought their questions about ChildCareBC, which were answered directly by the Minister. 

When was it? May 9, 2024 – virtual

 

2023

School Aged Parent Survey

What was it? A voluntary parent survey to gather information about the need for child care for B.C.’s school-aged (Kindergarten to Grade 7) population. This survey had a two-step invitation process with school principals and administrators distributing the survey to their Kindergarten through Grade 7 parents and guardians.

A total of 45,797 surveys were completed, accounting for 11% of B.C.’s total Kindergarten to Grade 7 population. Schools from 59 of 60 B.C. school districts participated in the survey.

When was it? The survey took place between November 22nd and December 20th 2023.

CCRR Request for Information

What was it? A request for information (RFI) engagement for current and prospective service providers to provide insights and information on the child care sector to support the ministry’s priorities for the ChildCareBC plan. The information collected will be used to help the Province understand the capacity, capabilities, barriers, and innovative approaches within a particular provider’s community.

The Province also held a “Discovery Day Session” where current and interested service providers were able to receive clarification on the Child Care Resource and Referral Program’s objectives and RFI process.

When was it? January 2023 – virtual engagement.

New Spaces Fund updates for school districts

What was it? An engagement series with the Ministry of Education and Child Care’s Capital Management Branch and child care space creation subject matter experts.  Updates on proposed process changes for school districts to access capital funding for K-12 child care projects were shared with over 120 participants representing school districts and child care operators.

When was it? Four virtual engagement sessions from December 6-13, 2023 

2023 Early Learning and Child Care Summit

What was it? An innovative dialogue with provincial leaders from the child care sector, business sector, local governments, K-12 sector, community and social services agencies. Delegates were invited to engage in a meaningful discussion on the theme ‘Supporting a child care ecosystem’ and on working together to build quality early learning and child care as a core service that families can rely on.

When was it? In-person conference held on October 13, 2023, at Coast Coal Harbour Hotel in Vancouver.

ChildCareBC Facility Design Guidelines

What was it? An engagement series with child care space creation subject matter experts to share feedback on the ChildCareBC Facility Design Guidelines draft principles and implementation considerations. With over 180 participants representing child care providers, school districts, local governments, health authority licensing officers, inclusion organizations, Indigenous organizations and other child care advocacy groups.

The purpose of the Facility Design Guidelines is to inform the design of new public, not-for-profit, and Indigenous government-led projects that receive provincial funding to create new child care spaces.

When was it? 15 virtual engagement sessions from June 9 to July 7, 2023  

ChildCareBC Minister's Town Hall

What was it? The inaugural ChildCareBC Minister's Town Hall invited the child care community to have their questions about the ChildCareBC plan answered directly by the Minister of State for Child Care. This was the first session of its kind and will occur on a regular basis, as part of government’s ongoing efforts to engage meaningfully with the child care sector.

When was it? Tuesday, May 30, 2023

 

2022

Self-paced feedback form

What was it? An opportunity for early learning and child care partners to provide self-paced feedback on a range of topics in a way that works best for their busy schedules.

When was it? The form was available from December 2, 2021, to March 17, 2022.

Virtual topic-specific workshops

What was it? A series of interactive, facilitated sessions focused on a single topic, where partners provided feedback on questions using an interactive whiteboard, chat features and live discussions.

When was it? Ten focus groups, two per topic, occurred between March 1-16, 2022.

 

Information sessions

Indigenous information sessions

Visit the Indigenous engagement page for more information.

Information sessions to date

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2023

Information Session: 2023/24 Funding Renewal and CCFRI Expansion to Preschool and School Age

What was it? A dedicated webinar for child care providers working with the government to lower child care fees for families, to learn about the 2023/24 funding renewal process for Child Care Operating Funding (CCOF), the Child Care Fee Reduction Initiative (CCFRI), and the Early Childhood Educator Wage Enhancement (ECE-WE).

This information session included:

  • Expanded CCFRI eligibility to children enrolled in half-day preschool programs and children in Grade 1 and older, starting in September 2023
  • Key changes to the 2023/24 CCFRI Funding Guidelines
  • Demo of an enhanced 2023/24 Program Confirmation Form on a new online platform

When was it? January 23, 2023

Related program information:

 

2022

Information Session: New Child Care Savings

What was it? A dedicated webinar for child care providers working with the government to lower child care fees for families, to learn about new child care savings that come into effect December 1, 2022.

We are cutting child care fees again, so families can save as much as $550 more every month. That’s $6,600 more back in the pockets of parents, every year, for every child they have in licensed care.

When was it? September 23, 2022

Related program information:

Information Session: B.C. Employer Training Grant

What was it? Facilitated webinar for child care operators and ECEs to learn about the B.C. Employer Training Grant (ETG), which supports employers in paying for skills training for their employees.

The ETG program is a great fit for child care operators to access training support for their employees, as priority is given to applications from the early childhood education sector and successful applicants will be reimbursed 80% of eligible training costs.

When was it? August 3, 2022

Due to technical challenges, there is no available recording of the webinar. See the resources below to learn more about the program, including the presentation deck, webinar Q&A and the ETG website:

Related program information:

Information Session: Recruiting and Retaining ECEs using the BC Provincial Nominee Program

What was it? Facilitated webinar for child care operators, ECEs and the overall child care sector on recruitment and retention opportunities through the BC Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) with additional presentations on Immigration Programs and Resources for Employers from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), and on ECE Certification from the ECE Registry.

When was it? June 15, 2022

Related program information:

 

2021

 

What we do with the feedback you provide

We value your input. Feedback collected throughout this engagement will be used to support decision-making on the future of early learning and child care in B.C. Any follow-up information, including summaries and results of consultation, will be shared on this page.

 

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