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Policy briefing note: Community plan for a public system of integrated early care and learning

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Community recommendations for BC Government's first steps toward a public system of integrated early learning and care
Author: 
Early childhood educators of BC & Coalition of child care advocates of BC
Publication Date: 
6 Feb 2018
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Overview

In BC’s 2017 provincial election, a majority voted for action on child care. Both the BC NDP and BC Greens made substantial child care commitments. Both parties made child care the largest area of new spending in their platforms. In its subsequent Throne Speech, the BC Liberals also made a commitment to significant new child care investment.

With all three major political parties now publicly committed to new child care funding, British Columbia’s families with young children can finally look forward to meaningful progress on solving the current child care chaos.

The $10aDay Plan is the comprehensive, evidence-based solution to this chaos.

The Plan is grounded in public policy and funding proposals that address the affordability issue for all families with (or hoping to have) young children, and is central to an effective poverty reduction plan. British Columbians are calling on government to implement it.

The Coalition of Child Care Advocates of BC and Early Childhood Educators of BC propose concrete, balanced, actions that allow government to begin fulfilling their child care commitment in Budget 2018.
These actions support existing BC child care services to participate in building the effective system that BC parents, grandparents, and employers have been waiting for.

Implementing these first steps require the BC government to confirm the multi-lateral and bi-lateral child care agreements with the federal government, and to conclude child care discussions with the BC Green Caucus. These first steps to reduce today’s child care chaos in BC are consistent with the election platforms of both the BC NDP and BC Greens.