(Image Credit: CFJC Today)

By Aaron Schulze

Childcare Funding Reaction

BGC Kamloops hopes federal government’s budgeted childcare funding tackles staffing, training, and flexibility issues

Apr 19, 2021 | 5:46 PM

KAMLOOPS — The executive director for BGC Kamloops, formerly known as the Boys and Girls Club of Kamloops, said they were expecting a substantial childcare investment from the federal government.

Traci Anderson was pleased to hear the Liberal government’s budget included $30 billion committed towards early learning and childcare over the next five years, but she mentioned there must be a cohesive and comprehensive approach to ensure it has an impact.

“Childcare looks a bit different now because of the pandemic,” Anderson said. “One of our biggest challenges… finding enough qualified staff to work in childcare, which creates bigger and longer waitlists. We’ve had people on our wait lists for over a year and we have children that haven’t even been born yet on our wait lists.”

Anderson said the early childhood worker shortage in B.C. is their biggest crunch. She hopes the federal government’s budgeted funding can go towards different models of training and higher wages to encourage more people to choose early childhood and childcare work as a career.

“An opportunity for [trades] kind of training that would be suitable in the sector and get people jobs right away, and train as you go,” Anderson said. “There’s been a lack of early childhood educators and childcare staff feeling it’s a professional sector and job. What’s more important than educating and caring for people’s children?”

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Along with creating more flexible training models, Anderson said there must be more flexibility with the types of childcare. She said the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted how families may need different care than their children being watched from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. work hours.

“Not all childcare environments look the same,” she said. “There’s skilled base and recreational and after school programs that are very valuable as well. Opportunities where families have choice is imperative. Looking outside of the typical childcare hours. The flex care is vital to make sure it’s accessible.”