Twenty new Seamless Day pilot projects were announced in the BC government’s April budget. This is a big step forward to an integrated system of early care and learning within BC’s public education system and is in large part thanks to the hard work of so many of you in the education sector. By engaging with districts, members and supporters using the campaign website – buildseamlesschildcare.ca, and lobbying at a provincial level, CUPE was able to move the dial on this issue.
The K-12 Presidents Council is working with BCPSEA to provide a template Letter of Understanding to assist locals and employers with the implementation of the Seamless Day pilot in their districts. The template will be circulated to local presidents and staff when completed. The Ministry of Education may still be looking for districts to run pilot projects – talk to your district administrators to see if they have applied to be a part of this ground-breaking pilot project.
While the expansion of the Seamless Day is good news, there is still more to do. The Seamless Day pilots are a good first step, but they don’t come close to putting a dent in the child care crisis facing communities across BC.
BC families need a publicly delivered universally accessible system of affordable child care. If we work together, we can make it a reality.
One immediate action we can all take is to show support for the $10 a Day campaign’s call for the province to secure federal funding & fully implement the plan for affordable universal child care.
Visit 10aday.ca to take action TODAY!
Before- and After-School Care on School Grounds – Now Easier Than Ever
A new child care licensing category – School Age Care on School Grounds – was announced this month by the province. This change paves the way for school districts to create before- and after-school care spaces by removing the barriers to licensing existing school space for child care.
The new licensing category recognizes that since schools are safe spaces for students during the school day, they should also be deemed safe and appropriate spaces for before- and after-school care. This is a green light for school districts to start opening the school aged child care spaces BC families desperately need.
This is a significant opportunity – school districts have the space, they have the people, and now they have easy access to licensing. The only missing ingredient is a willingness to be a part of solving the child care crisis plaguing our communities. This can be accomplished in a revenue neutral way and provide more full-time work to CUPE members. It’s a win/win!
We encourage all locals to follow up with district administrators and school board trustees. If you haven’t already, it’s a good time to start a discussion about publicly delivered before- and after-school care.
If you would like support starting these discussions or building a plan to advocate for public child care in your community contact your staff rep and our child care campaign coordinator David Fleming at dfleming@cupe.ca.
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