Major non-profit child care providers urge changes to $10-a-day funding model
British Columbia’s largest non-profit child care providers are calling on the province to adjust its new $10-a-day Operating Funding Model, warning that the current approach could undermine the stability and growth of affordable, high-quality child care across the province.
In a joint letter sent this month to Education and Child Care Minister Lisa Beare, sector leaders representing more than 6,300 licensed $10-a-day spaces say the proposed funding model risks pushing many centres into unsustainable deficits.
The letter is signed by BGC Clubs of BC, the Federation of Community Social Services of BC, the YMCAs of BC and the YWCA of Metro Vancouver, organizations that have worked with the province since the launch of ChildCareBC in 2018 to expand access to affordable care.
“We have been proud partners in building the $10-a-day system,” the groups wrote. “But the current version of the Operating Funding Model would leave us unable to deliver the high-quality, inclusive care families expect or to recruit and retain the qualified staff needed to expand access.”
The providers are not asking for major new funding increases. Instead, they are urging the province to ensure the new model maintains funding levels and flexibility that previously existed under the Eligible Expense Model.
Among their key concerns is the loss of the early childhood educator wage enhancement, which they say leaves wages below market rates and removes recognition for experience and additional qualifications at a time when the sector faces acute labour shortages.
The organizations are also warning that the new model funds only the minimum staffing levels required by licensing, with insufficient hours for planning, reporting, cleaning and parent engagement. They say this limits the ability to deliver enriched programming and increases burnout among early childhood educators.
Other recommendations include restoring funding for programming materials and activities, maintaining support for non-ratio staff who provide inclusion-focused care, and continuing to fund administrative costs at 15 per cent of expenses to ensure providers can meet reporting, payroll and child protection requirements.
“Professional administration is not optional,” the letter states. “It is essential to operate responsibly, comply with government requirements and open new spaces.”
As discussions with the government continue, the Federation of Community Social Services of BC is convening a Working Group on Child Care on Thursday, Jan. 22, from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., to support dialogue between community-based non-profit providers and the government.
Diego Cardera, policy adviser to the minister of education and child care, is expected to join part of the meeting. Organizers say the session will provide an opportunity for providers to share on-the-ground experiences, ask questions and help inform government understanding of the Operating Funding Model rollout and the ongoing expansion of $10-a-day spaces.
The working group will also include updates on the sector’s recent joint advocacy efforts and begin planning next steps.
Providers wishing to suggest agenda items are asked to contact Caleigh Garland.
Sector leaders say the outcome of the Operating Funding Model review will have implications well beyond individual centres.
“Without the right adjustments, progress on affordable child care could stall,” the letter warns. “With the right changes, we can continue building a system that works for families, providers and the B.C. economy.”