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By Rohini Arora, MLA for Burnaby East and Parliamentary Secretary for Child Care

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SOUND OFF: More child care spaces on school grounds

Sep 10, 2025 | 10:30 AM

AS WE CELEBRATE the start of another exciting school year and acknowledge the teachers and staff who keep our K-12 system running, we also need to acknowledge the amazing folks who work in child care, like ECEs, ECEAs, administrators and other child care workers, who often work year-round providing amazing care to our youngest children.

High-quality, affordable, and reliable child care makes all the difference for parents, especially single moms and mothers who do the lion’s share of domestic work. Whether it’s families with infants and toddlers, or with children who require before-and-after school care, child care allows parents and guardians to pursue work or further education, unlocking more opportunities to support their family.

But finding child care that fits their life can be stressful for families, and the logistics of shuffling kids between child care and school, especially for working and single parents, can feel impossible.

That’s why we are committed to building more child care on school grounds, all around B.C. Last month, our government and the federal government partnered with school districts to open 640 more new licensed child care spaces across the province, so that pick-up and drop-off can be at one location, and child care can be a part of our school communities.

As Parliamentary Secretary for Child Care, I hear from moms, families, single parents, advocates and teachers all the time about how beneficial it is to have child care spaces at local schools, and what a difference B.C.’s affordable child care program has meant to them.

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All 640 of these child care spaces in 12 communities across the province will benefit from B.C.’s fee reduction program (CCFRI), helping parents pay, on average, less than half of what they would – down to $19 a day from an average of $47. This helps save families up to $900 per month, per child.

Thanks to our historic investments in child care, thousands of families are benefitting from added spaces and reduced fees, with more to come.

Since 2018, ChildCareBC’s space-creation programs have helped to fund more than 41,500 new licensed child care spaces in B.C. Of these, 26,200 are open and providing care for families.

When we invest in families, we’re also investing in a strong economy for B.C. By helping increase access to child care and reducing the out-of-pocket cost, we’re helping hardworking British Columbians, especially single moms and moms who take on the lion’s share of domestic work, and securing a beautiful future for themselves and for our province.

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Editor’s Note: This opinion piece reflects the views of its author, and does not necessarily represent the views of CFJC Today or Pattison Media.