Money doesn’t change B.C. Liberals’ stance on $10-a-day plan

A federal funding boost of about $90 million annually for child care in B.C. hasn’t swayed the provincial Liberals on their opposition to calls for $10-a-day, subsidized child care.

Ottawa plans to invest an additional $7 billion in affordable child-care spaces across Canada beginning in 2018-19, federal Finance Minister Bill Morneau said Wednesday during his presentation of the 2017 budget. That’s in addition to $500 million for 201718 announced last year. Morneau estimated the new cash could support 40,000 additional subsidized spaces within the next three years.

“Too often we hear stories of single parents living in poverty because the cost of child care is so high, they can’t afford to go back to work,” he said in a prepared speech.

Sharon Gregson of the Coalition of Child Care Advocates of B.C., said the province’s estimated share of the federal funding should be enough to support the $10-aday plan her group has been lobbying for.

“With this kind of federal commitment on the table, there’s no reason for British Columbia not to implement the $10-a-day plan,” she said. “It’s in their court. The feds have come to the table.”

She added she hopes Ottawa will introduce accountability measures to make sure B.C. is using the cash to support a public child-care system.

But later Wednesday, B.C. Finance Minister Mike de Jong gave a blunt “no” when asked if the federal commitment has changed his position on the subsidized plan championed by the provincial NDP.

Child care is shaping up to be a key issue in this spring’s B.C. election — particularly in Metro Vancouver, where parents often spend years on waiting lists for affordable options. The NDP have put their support behind a $10-a-day subsidized plan, but the Liberals say that would be too big a strain.

Last month, the B.C. budget set aside an additional $20 million for child-care spaces in the year ahead, adding 5,000 spots to the 113,000 already licensed.

De Jong said his understanding of the new federal funding commitment is the focus will be on creating new child-care spaces.

“The more spaces that are built, the less pressure there is on wait lists and there’s better availability,” he said.

Federal government officials said the funding announced in the latest budget could be spent on new child-care centres, as well as subsidies for parents or wage subsidies for child-care providers.

The federal budget also invests $30 million a year over the next five years to extend parental leave to 18 months, a feat that will be accomplished by spreading 12 months’ worth of payments over that time.

With this kind of federal commitment ... there’s no reason for (B.C.) not to implement the $10-a-day plan.