Excerpts
Conservative Party of B.C. Leader John Rustad Friday (Oct. 4) promised to make more $10-a-day childcare spaces available to single mothers and low-income families by expanding the role of what he called independent childcare providers.
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He blamed over-regulation for the dearth of spaces, noting it shuts out independent providers.
The party intends to identify and fix what it calls "unnecessary or unreasonable regulations" — by any level of government — that prevent high-quality childcare spaces from opening, whether in homes, commercial spaces, or in public buildings like schools and rec centres. Rustad said all facilities would still have to meet provincial standards.
Other parts of the platform call for the creation of 24-hour childcare spaces to support shift workers and first responders, support schools that want to offer childcare programs, simplify credential conversion for professionals such as educators, social workers, and teachers who wish to move into childcare and allow educators to work as Early Childhood Educator assistants during summer months.
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Grace Lore, B.C. NDP candidate for Victoria Beacon-Hill, who served as minister of children and family development prior to the start of the campaign, questioned Rustad's proposal. She warned off higher fees and lower standards in accusing Rustad of dodging questions about quality standards.
“Rustad is a risk we simply can’t afford," she said in a press release. "We’ve built new spaces while cutting child care costs in half and saving families hundreds of dollars every month."