North Shore News – November 9th, 2018

The North Shore Neighbourhood House is part of a child care pilot project

Twelve families will pay a maximum of $200 per month for child care in a pilot project at the North Shore Neighbourhood House’s Novaco Daycare.

There will be 12 child-care spots at the North Vancouver daycare centre whose fees will be capped at $200, or eliminated altogether.

This is part of the provincial government’s pilot project that aims to deliver $10-a-day child care. Novaco Daycare, in the Norgate area, is one of 53 organizations that’s part of the pilot project. The funding comes from the provincial government’s $60 million Early Learning and Child Care agreement with the federal government.

“For families on the North Shore, the burden of high child care fees in addition to soaring housing costs can be absolutely stifling,” stated North Vancouver-Lonsdale MLA Bowinn Ma in a press release.

Child-care providers taking part in the pilot will receive government funding to cover their operational and administrative costs, and in return, fees will be eliminated or capped at a maximum of $200 per month, according to the press release.

Novaco Daycare, in the Norgate area, is one of 53 organizations across the province that is taking part in the pilot project. The funding comes from the provincial government’s $60-million Early Learning and Child Care agreement with the federal government.

North Vancouver-Lonsdale MLA Bowinn Ma said the provincial government will use this prototype as it moves towards universal child care, and the “ultimate goal” is to have low fees for all families. She pointed out it took 15 years for Quebec to reach total universal child care.

“What I’m really interested in learning, how does this change the lives of families,” Ma said.

Capping fees at $200 in this pilot project is meant to help families who are struggling to make ends meet, Ma said.

“Child care, like housing, is a serious challenge for families in B.C.,” she added. “Children who grow up in families under extreme financial stress … are more like to have challenges as adults,” Ma said.

The fees for the 12 spots subsidized by this program at North Shore Neighbourhood House’s program will be capped at $200, but families might also access other fee subsidies, bringing their total fees to under $200, Ma said.

Child-care providers taking part in the pilot will receive government funding to cover their operational and administrative costs. In total, it is expected to subsidize 2,500 child-care spots across the province.

This funding follows other child-care programs that the provincial government has introduced over the past year to support child care. The government provided North Shore Neighbourhood House with about $433,000 earlier this year for children who need extra support in their care, to be rolled out over three years.

This is part of $30 million across the province being spent on extra supports in child care. This funding also comes from the federal-provincial government Early Learning and Child Care agreement. The province has also introduced the Aboriginal Supported Child Development program, which offers extra support for indigenous children, on reserve and off reserve, while learning about their heritage and culture.