ACE National presses BC parties for a costed child care access plan

ACE National is urging British Columbia’s political parties to explain how they will expand $10-a-day child care beyond centres families already happen to use before the Oct. 24 election. The group says the next government needs a costed plan that makes affordability follow the child, not the provider.

Why it matters: - Families can only benefit from BC’s $10-a-day child care program if they can get a spot in a participating centre. - ACE National says that leaves out many families who need care and are still helping fund the public system. - The association is pressing parties to show how they would make access fairer without weakening quality or sustainability.

What happened: - ACE National called on every British Columbia party to explain how it would extend affordable child care to families who cannot access $10-a-day spaces. - The appeal comes less than two weeks before the Oct. 24 provincial election. - The association asked parties to put forward a costed plan tied to spaces families can actually use. - Premier David Eby said in a statement on Oct. 12 that his family’s child care centre became a $10-a-day site after his child was already enrolled. - Eby said the family made a donation because it did not need the discount. - The current program ties the $10-a-day rate to the centre rather than to a family’s income.

The details: - ACE National Board Chair and Executive Director Krystal Churcher said access to a major public benefit should not depend on which centre a family attends. - Churcher said families outside the program still contribute to it and need child care too. - ACE says a shared system can serve families across income levels while directing more help to those with the greatest need. - A 2023 study from the Centre for Family Equity and the University of British Columbia interviewed 30 low-income lone mothers. - The study found benefits for families with $10-a-day spaces and raised concerns about access to the limited number available. - The Fraser Institute projects a $13.8 billion provincial deficit for 2026-27. - ACE says any child care commitment should include costs and funding sources. - Child Care Professionals of BC’s Amanda Worms said existing licensed spaces should be made affordable, longstanding programs kept open, qualified educators supported and the added staff children need should be funded. - ACE is asking parties to let affordability funding follow the child to any eligible licensed provider, with common quality, fee and accountability rules across public, nonprofit and private programs. - ACE is also asking for income-based assistance for families with the greatest financial need, with gradual thresholds to avoid abrupt fee increases. - The group wants expansion focused on demonstrated shortages by location, age group and hours of care, rather than building everywhere at once. - ACE says funding decisions should reflect operating costs, educator compensation and inclusion needs. - The association also wants a costed plan with funding sources, timelines and measurable results.

Between the lines: - ACE is trying to shift the election debate from a headline child care promise to how the system actually works for families who cannot get into subsidized centres. - The group’s message suggests the province can widen access without starting from scratch if it uses existing licensed spaces more effectively. - The emphasis on costs and funding sources signals pressure on parties to match child care commitments with fiscal realism.

What's next: - ACE National says it is ready to meet with any leader willing to work on fairer access and sustainable solutions. - Members of the public can send a letter to elected representatives at general support page. - The Oct. 24 election will determine whether any party adopts ACE’s call for portability, income-based help and a funded expansion plan.

The bottom line: - ACE National wants British Columbia to move from a centre-based child care subsidy to a system that follows families, targets need and comes with a public price tag.