Summary:

• The report highlights actions taken in fiscal year 2024-25, including removing wait-list fees and signing a memorandum of understanding with the First Nations Leadership Council and Canada to advance early learning and child care for First Nations in B.C., a first in Canada
• The report establishes a baseline for future progress toward affordable, inclusive, high-quality child care and stronger collaboration with Indigenous partners

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The provincial government has released its inaugural annual report under the Early Learning and Child Care Act (ELCCA).

The report is designed to strengthen transparency and accountability as government works to fulfil its goals in the ChildCareBC plan.

It highlights actions taken across government in fiscal year 2024-25 to advance the design and delivery of affordable, inclusive and high-quality child care that is accessible to every child whose family needs it or wants it. The report also outlines efforts to strengthen connections between child care and the K-12 system and to collaborate with First Nations, Métis and other Indigenous partners.

Key actions taken in 2024-2025  

The following actions build on progress since 2018 to reduce fees and expand access to licensed child care to families throughout B.C. It includes:

• eliminating wait-list fees charged by funded providers to improve affordability and access for families
• signing a tripartite memorandum of understanding with the First Nations Leadership Council and the Government of Canada to co-develop a collaborative, rights-based and distinctions-based approach to early learning and child care for First Nations in B.C., a first of its kind in Canada
• releasing the Inclusive Child Care Strategy, which identifies goals and actions the Province is taking as it makes progress toward inclusive child care
• introduction of specialized certification grants for infant-and-toddler and special needs early childhood educators to strengthen workforce capacity
• streamlining the application process for boards of education seeking to create child care spaces on school grounds, supporting better integration with the K-12 system

How government is helping families in B.C.

• ChildCareBC affordability programs are saving families an average of $6,700 per year on child care costs.
• These savings apply to more than 170,000 licensed child care spaces, keeping more than $3 billion in the pockets of B.C. families.
• More than 56,000 more children are in licensed care today compared to 2018, when the ChildCareBC plan was introduced.

Learn More:

• Read the full ELCCA 2024-2025 report: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/download/D1EA7CE5C65D49BEA8068BE78883B0B6
• For more information about ChildCareBC, visit: https://gov.bc.ca/childcare