Effective July 1, 2007, the Province is increasing child care funding rates for children under three, Minister of State for Child Care Linda Reid announced today.
?This rate increase is another way the Province is mitigating federal changes to child care funding,? said Reid. ?We?re targeting the infant-toddler age group to reflect the greater financial burden placed on parents of younger children.?
In March, the federal government cancelled the 2005 Early Learning and Child Care agreement (ELCC), resulting in a loss of $455 million over the next three years. In doing so, Ottawa removed its contribution to the Child Care Operating Fund for licensed providers. The Province covered off the federal contribution to end of the school year to prevent disruption for families.
Effective July 1 ? as another step to support parents and providers and mitigate the loss of federal funding ? the provincial per day, per space funding rates for licensed child care providers of children 0 ? 35 months will increase as follows:
? Group Child Care (four hours or less) from $5.14 to $6
? Group Child Care (more than four hours) from $10.28 to $12
? Family Child Care (four hours or less) from $1.59 to $1.85
? Family Child Care (more than four hours) from $3.18 to $3.70
The B.C. government provides more than $50 million annually in funding to the CCOF Program, and plans to spend more than $287 million for child care services in 2007-08.
?What we?ve done as a result of the challenge we?ve been presented with is refocus and invest child-care resources in programs that support our most vulnerable children and families,? said Reid.