Families at Discovery Kids Childcare are now paying no more than $200 a month per child as part of a B.C. government universal child care prototype project.

“Children are the experts at Discovery Kids Childcare, with their passions and interests driving daily activities,” said Katrina Chen, Minister of State for Child Care. “To develop these activities, the educators work in concert with the children, guiding them, encouraging them and inspiring them.”

Discovery Kids Childcare is one of more than 50 sites chosen to offer low-cost child care to B.C. parents. The centre’s programming is derived from the Reggio Emilia approach, which encourages children to learn through exploration and discovery. Children also learn about Indigenous culture through activities such as weaving, story time and acting. The centre provides ongoing professional development and supports for its staff, including sponsoring educators new to Canada.

“This project models what high-quality, affordable, universal child care may look like for B.C. families,” said Katrine Conroy, Minister of Children and Family Development. “Prototype sites build on the work we’ve already done to bring affordability relief to thousands of families through universal fee reductions and the Affordable Child Care Benefit.”

The prototype sites will model what high-quality, affordable, universal child care may look like for B.C. families. In all, parents of around 2,500 children will benefit from the prototype project.

This project is funded through a $60-million investment as part of the Early Learning and Child Care Agreement with the Government of Canada. It complements the Province’s $1-billion three-year investment through Childcare BC to move toward its long-term vision of affordable, accessible and quality child care for any family that needs it.

Parents who are not accessing these low-cost spaces may still be eligible for support through the Affordable Child Care Benefit, which provides up to $1,250 per child a month for families with an annual income of $111,000 or less. Families using licensed child care may also see savings through the Child Care Fee Reduction, which has so far helped to reduce the cost of almost 52,000 child care spaces around the province.

Learn More:

For more about Childcare BC, visit: www.gov.bc.ca/childcare

For more information about universal child care prototype sites, visit: www.gov.bc.ca/childcare/prototypesites

To learn more about the Affordable Child Care Benefit, and to apply, visit: www.gov.bc.ca/affordablechildcarebenefit

For more information about the Child Care Fee Reduction Initiative and approved providers, visit: www.gov.bc.ca/childcare/optin