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

“With a range of structured, semi-structured and spontaneous learning opportunities, Bowen Island Kinderhaus gives little learners the freedom they need to explore the natural world around them,” said Katrina Chen, Minister of State for Child Care. “The children learn vital social skills including communication, co-operation and patience with their peers, and are exposed to life skills such as food preparation of morning smoothies.” 

Bowen Island Kinderhaus is one of more than 50 sites chosen to offer low-cost child care to B.C. parents. The kinderhaus provides an all-day preschool program where children are immersed in the natural outdoor space offered on Bowen Island, including a garden and forested area. The curriculum provides children a mix of individual and group activities such as dramatic play, story time, as well as math and science experiments and incorporates Indigenous books, art and music.

“We have a long-term goal to introduce universal child care so that every family who needs it has access to quality early learning,” said Katrine Conroy, Minister of Children and Family Development. ”These spaces are the first step to making that vision a reality, and we’re excited to be working with providers across the province to make life better for B.C. families.”

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