Some parents win the ‘lottery’ with $10-a-day child care, those left behind feel like it’s a game of roulette – Vancouver Sun

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The B.C. government hopes to extend $10-a-day daycare to 10 per cent of B.C. spaces by year's end

When a child care centre gets picked to be a $10-a-day site, parents say its like winning the lottery. But for those anxiously waiting to reap the benefits of governments affordable child care program, the system for picking the winning child care centres can feel like a game of roulette.

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By the end of the year, the B.C. government says it will double the number of subsidized $10-a-day spots from 6,500 to 12,500 which will save parents at those centres an average of $800 a month for each child. But thats still only 10 per cent of daycare spots in B.C.

Advocates are applauding the speed at which the government is rolling out the $10-a-day child care program while parents still paying high fees are anxiously hoping theyll be one of the lucky ones as more affordable sites are announced between now and December.

The Ministry of Education and Child Care announced Monday it is accepting applications from child care centres for the $10-a-day program until noon on Aug. 18. Applications will be reviewed and approved on a rolling basis which means some spaces could be approved for $10-a-day sooner than December.

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Thats welcome news for Surrey mom Carolyn Hofbauer. She works from home with her 2-year-old son Blake because daycare is too costly.

Hofbauer hates the idea of spending $13,000 a year on child care when she could be saving that money for Blake to use later in life. Parents whose kids go to a $10-a-day child care pay $200 a month compared to the average $1,000 a month for full-time infant care at a child care centre.

Surrey absolutely needs more of these $10-a-day sites, Hofbauer, who runs a small business with her husband, Eric Beer. Ive been patient. I continue to be patient and hopeful. But the sooner the better. Particularly with the cost of living just shooting up, the stress is there all the time.

Vancouver has 22 child care centres and a total of 1,260 spaces receiving the $10-a-day subsidy while Surrey, B.C.s second most-populous city and one of the fastest growing communities in B.C., has only six $10-a-day centres with 222 spaces.

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The 2022 Census found 11 per cent of B.C.s population lives in Surrey but 13 per cent of B.C.s kids from infant to 14-years-old live there.

Child Care Minister Katrina Chen is spending the summer touring around B.C. talking to parents and child care operators about affordable daycare. Chen spoke to parents in Surrey on Monday and heard the desire for more $10-a-day spaces.

Thats why the new round of applications will target communities with a lower proportion of $10-a-day sites relative to their population, Chen said told Postmedia News.

As a parent myself, I understand that need for affordable child care and I look forward to more measures to be able to benefit more parents, she said.

All types of providers caring for children five and younger can apply for the $10-a-day program but priority will be given to larger non-profit, publicly delivered and Indigenous-led providers in communities that do not have a $10-a-day site and based on population density.

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The bulk of the cost of creating new $10-a-day spaces is being shouldered by the federal government, which will spend $136 million in the 2022-23 fiscal year while the province spends $43 million.

Sharon Gregson, spokesperson for the $10 A Day Child Care Campaign, speaks to families every day who are desperate for more affordable child care. She understands the NDP governments 10-year affordable child care plan cant happen overnight, but says its little consolation to parents struggling with high fees.

It isnt going to be fully equitable until its truly accessible to all families the same way that our elementary schools are accessible to all families who choose to use our public education system, she said.

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There are communities that dont have any $10-a-day programs yet. So yes, Surrey needs more $10-a-day child care, the North needs more $10-a-day child care. Every community needs more $10-a-day child care.

Parents who dont hit the jackpot with a $10-a-day site by December can still expect to pay less by the end of the year. The provincial and federal cash means fees for the remaining 116,000 child care spaces in B.C. will be cut in half to an average of $20 a day.

So this is a year that were going to see some significant improvements and affordability for families, Gregson said.

In the first round of $10-a-day applications in 2018, over 300 providers applied and 51 facilities were approved, according to the child care ministry. In the 2021 application round, nearly 650 providers applied and 84 were selected.

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Child care facilities are eligible if they participate in the governments child care fee reduction program which knocks between $350 and $100 off each child care spot depending on the childs age. Chen said 93 per cent of B.C. child care providers are part of that program.

Karin Kirkpatrick, the B.C. Liberals child care critic and MLA for West Vancouver-Capilano, has concerns with how the program has been rolled out. She said its unfair that some parents are reaping the benefit due to sheer luck while other parents are subsidizing that through their tax dollars.

Those are government dollars and they should be distributed equally, she said. We should all be having the same benefit. It shouldnt just be a select few. So theres got to be a better way of rolling this out.

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Meagan Gronotte, a 35-year-old Victoria mom had her four-year-old daughter on the waiting list for Parkdale Early Childcare Centre when she found out in March the centre was selected as a $10-a-day site.

It feels like Ive won the lottery, said Gronotte, a teacher. She said while shes happy to hear the program is expanding, she feels guilty to be receiving a deep discount when other parents are still paying full price.

I feel like everybody should be entitled to this. I feel lucky, but its not equitable because not everybody is receiving it.

kderosa@postmedia.com

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Some parents win the 'lottery' with $10-a-day child care, those left behind feel like it's a game of roulette - Vancouver Sun