Families at Langara Child Development Centre are now paying no more than $200 a month per child as part of a B.C. government universal child care prototype project.

“Exposing young children to other cultures is so important, as it builds acceptance, respect and friendship,” said Katrina Chen, Minister of State for Child Care. “The Langara Child Development Centre really emphasizes cultural programming where snack preparation may focus on foods and special dishes from other cultures, music may showcase various kinds of rhythms and story time may feature words from other languages.”

Langara Child Development Centre is one of more than 50 sites chosen to offer low-cost child care to B.C. parents. Cultural experiences and teachings are woven into much of the centre’s daily programming. As a practicum site for the Native Education Program, children also learn about Indigenous culture, stories and activities from Indigenous community members. In addition, the centre partners with other child development organizations to provide comprehensive services for children who may have extra support needs.

“We committed to introduce affordable, accessible and quality child care for every parent who wants it,” said Katrine Conroy, Minister of Children and Family Development. “These high-quality, low-cost spaces will help to shape the future direction of our Childcare BC plan, and we’re excited to be working alongside providers to make life better for B.C. families.” 

The Childcare BC Universal Prototype Sites will model what high-quality, affordable, universal child care may look like for B.C. families. This funding will allow Langara Child Development Centre to offer 62 low-cost licensed child care spaces to local parents. In all, parents of approximately 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