The B.C. and federal government announced funding Wednesday to increase pay and reduce education costs for early childhood educators.
The additional money will provide for a $1 an hour raise in 2019 for staff in licensed daycares that have been approved for B.C.’s child care fee reduction initiative. Another $1 an hour raise is to be paid in 2020, said Katrine Conroy, B.C.’s Minister of Children and Family Development.
“As we build new licensed child care spaces, we know that we also need to build the early childhood educator workforce,” Conroy said.
The federal-provincial contribution also improves the bursary fund for early childhood educator (ECE) programs. Student bursaries will be increased from $300 to $500 per course.
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The B.C. advanced education ministry has also budgeted to increase ECE training spaces by 620 over three years.
The federal government is providing $16.3 million towards increased child care, and the province has budgeted $136 million to increase licensed child care in the province.
@tomfletcherbc
tfletcher@blackpress.ca
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