Provincial government says B.C. families could see childcare costs cut by 50% by December

(With files by Will Peters-MyPGNow)

The federal and provincial governments are spending more money to help lower childcare costs for thousands of B.C. families and the savings will be in effect by Dec. 1.

The province will be directly funding licensed child care centres. This means families won’t have to apply for the savings.

B.C. government officials said families will save as much as an additional $550 per month for each child they have in participating licensed childcare centres.

This is on top of the up to $350 a month savings first introduced in 2018.

For example, a family with a 10-month-old and a three-year-old in group care could save as much as $11,940 more per year, in addition to the $5,400 per year they are already saving.

Federal government officials said this will bring B.C. closer to the province-wide average of $10-a-day childcare for children under six.

“The Canada-British Columbia Canada-wide early learning and childcare agreement that we signed just over a year ago puts families first, and will ensure every child has access to high-quality, affordable, accessible childcare,” said Karina Gould, federal Minister of Families, Children and Social Development in a release.

“With hundreds of dollars in savings, this investment will provide much-needed support to reduce the cost of living for families with young children.”

By the end of 2022, provincial officials say the number of $10-a-day childcare centres will be nearly doubled to 12,500.