EXCERPTS
The federal government has reached a deal with the province to implement $10 a day child care in B.C. in five years and to cut daycare fees in half by the end of next year.
Calling it part of a “feminist recovery,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made the announcement at a news conference in Coquitlam Thursday along with Families Minister Ahmed Hussen.
Trudeau said they have reached an agreement to make child care more affordable for families in B.C..that will help women stay in the workforce and help families recovery from poverty.
As part of the agreement, he said the federal government will work with B.C. to achieve $10 a day regulated child care for all kids under six within five years.
By the end of next year the average fees for day care will be cut in half and they will add 30,000 new child care spaces, he said.
“This is a game-changing policy for families,” said Trudeau.
“The pandemic has laid bare what woman and feminists have long known. That without good child care it’s practically impossible for parents, especially mothers, to build a career. For middle class families quality child care can be incredibly expensive and that’s if they can find child care spaces.”
Trudeau said in the Lower Mainland child care can cost up to $60 a day, which is $300 a week for one child. He said Canada can do better to make early learning more affordable.
“Hard-working families deserve better and our economy deserves better as well,” he said. “This is exactly what a feminist recovery looks like.”
B.C. Premier John Horgan, MP for Coquitlam-Port Coquitlam Ron McKinnon, and Carla Qualtrough, minister of employment, workforce development and disability inclusion and other dignitaries were also in attendance Thursday.
“Child care is not a luxury for families it is a necessity,” said Hussen, at the news conference. “We need a Canada wide early learning system and we need it now.”
Horgan said the plan to bring in $10 a day child care in 2017 but they couldn’t make it happen without the full participation of the federal government.