The B.C. government is adding more early childhood education spaces across the province, along with subsidies and spaces towards its ambitious goal of universal public daycare.
Finding enough trained staff to expand services while meeting the licensed child care standards imposed by the NDP government has been a major challenge, since the party campaigned on a promise to provide a Quebec-style subsidized daycare network across the province.
“Child care is not babysitting,” Premier John Horgan said Thursday at Langara College, one of the facilities getting 300 training spaces. A $2.7 million budget increase is expected to bring the total training spaces to 800.
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New spaces are being funded at Langara, UBC, the University of the Fraser Valley, Selkirk College, College of the Rockies, Camosun College, North Island College, Vancouver Island University, Okanagan College and Nicola Valley Institute of Technology.
Advanced Education Minister Melanie Mark said B.C. will need 90,000 new early childhood educators over the next 10 years.
@tomfletcherbc
tfletcher@blackpress.ca
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