British Columbia

Historically, in BC, as in most of Canada, regulated child care has been in short supply, of varying quality and unaffordable for many families. Recently, however, child care in BC is undergoing a paradigm shift with the current provincial government’s commitment to developing a universal child care system for all who need or want it. For this HELP Talk, we are fortunate to have two of BC’s foremost child care experts, Jane Beach and Lynell Anderson. They will tell the story about how, through ongoing research and advocacy, we are now in the midst of substantial change in child care policy and programs in BC, with the potential for system transformation and a better life for families with young children. They will also discuss the elements necessary for a universal system, what progress has been made to date and what challenges remain to be addressed.

Our host for this presentation will be Dr. Barry Forer, a Research Associate at the Human Early Learning Partnership, School of Population and Public Health, UBC.

Please RSVP and ask questions you may have to Maria Roser at earlylearning@ubc.ca. Can't make it to campus? No problem. We are excited to share that this session will be available via webcast. Simply let Maria know you will be attending via webcast and she will send you the link. 

Our Guest Speakers:

Jane Beach, Research and Policy Consultant, Early Childhood Education and Care
Talk Title: What We Know About Effective Early Childhood Education and Care – A Context for BC

Jane will provide a context for the provision of early childhood education and care in British Columbia and an overview of the key roles and responsibilities for the development and delivery of early childhood programs. She will discuss lessons from international reviews and approaches, key issues and major policy developments in Canada, wrapping up with considerations for a universal system of early childhood education and care.

Jane Beach is a research and policy consultant, based in Victoria. Jane has more than 40 years experience in child and family policy, with a concentration on early childhood education and care. She has worked in the child care branches of two provincial governments, in municipal government, and in both the voluntary and private sectors. Over the past 25 years, Jane’s consulting work, for government, academic institutions, community organizations and labour groups, has ranged from large-scale national and international studies on various aspects of child care policy, to local child care planning and organizational reviews.

Lynell Anderson, CPA, CGA, Public Policy Researcher and Community Engagement Specialist
Talk Title: Early Childhood Education and Care in BC – New Commitment to System Change

Lynell will tell the story of how BC came to be one of the few provinces in Canada that is committed to - and currently implementing - universal child care (ECEC). She will share highlights of the research and advocacy strategies that built public and political support for the $10aDay Child Care Plan, and analyze the rollout of universal child care in BC in relation to the policy lessons and considerations that Jane introduced.

Drawing on 35 years of experience as a professional accountant in the private, public, voluntary and academic sectors, Lynell analyzes and utilizes financial information to promote public accountability, engage communities and advocate for evidence-informed change. Her research and advocacy activities focus on public policies that advance the rights of children, women and families, especially with respect to child care services. Lynell provides research and strategic leadership to the $10aDay Child Care Campaign. In her former role as Senior Researcher with UBC’s Human Early Learning Partnership, Lynell helped establish Generation Squeeze and currently supports the organization as an Advisor.