The province is investing $20 million in a one-time grant to help offset pandemic-related health and safety costs.
Licensed child care providers can use the money for supplies, sanitizer or masks, to hire an external company to clean, or additional staff to cover absences due to illness.
“Child care professionals are the heart of child care and they have been working tirelessly since the pandemic started. As a parent of a young child, I know first-hand the tremendous difference their support is making to families and communities,” said Katrina Chen, Minister of State for Child Care, in a release.
“We are committed to responding to the needs of child care providers during this ever-changing situation. These new grants will help child care providers continue to keep children safe and healthy by providing funding for COVID-related staffing, supplies and cleaning needs.”
Eligible facilities will receive $160 per space based on the facility’s maximum capacity.
For example, a facility with 25 spaces can expect to receive about $4,000.
“Making sure that child care centres continue to be safe spaces for children and professionals is a top priority. That’s why, since spring 2020, we have provided more than $320 million in temporary emergency funding and, with this, more than $73 million in health and safety grants,” Chen said.
“We will continue to support child care providers to navigate the pandemic as we work toward our ChildCareBC plan to make child care a core service available to every family that wants it, when they need it, at a price they can afford.”
The grants will be issued in mid-February.