The provincial government will be pausing the enrolment of new providers for the $10 a Day ChildCareBC program, as well as the Operating Funding Model, during a “stabilization period.”
The move comes as Finance Minister Brenda Bailey says the provincial government’s Budget 2026 allocates $330 million over three years “to protect the progress we’ve made and stabilize the child-care services families rely on.” Bailey presented the budget in Victoria on Tuesday (Feb. 17).
The province says the $330 million will maintain lower fees and the spaces and support for operators and educators.
Broken down over the three years, it works out to $90 million in 2026/27, $110 million in 2027/28 and $130 million in 2028/29.
Bailey said that since 2018 families throughout B.C. have accessed nearly 58,000 new licensed child-care spaces in 1,450 facilities throughout B.C.
“B.C.’s child-care affordability programs are saving families an average of $7,200 per year on child-care costs and helping people access child care when they need it most,” she said.
Sharon Gregson, the provincial spokesperson for the $10 a Day Child Care campaign, was cautious, but relieved there were no cuts, nor indications the government was planning to roll back the program.
“It’s much better to have a pause than to get cuts, which we saw for the last two years – government had flatlined the provincial spending on child care,” Gregson said, adding it’s better they’re maintaining what’s there now while they re-evaluate.
Gregson said her campaign will work with the province on consultation and “short, sharp, focused engagement to get back on track” with a good model.
Asked if she has concerns about the timeline for this pause, Gregson said the $10 a Day Child Care campaign will be pushing with its allies across the province to make sure it’s not “endless consultation.”
Government, she said, needs to recognize that “not only is child care a line item on their expenses, but it also brings revenue back to the government when more parents, particularly women, are able to work.
Gregson said that she also wants the government to come back with a funding model that “values and fairly compensates” early childhood educators. She added the government had planned at one point to roll back the wages, but “everybody spoke up against it.”
Child care elsewhere
Budget 2026 also includes $25 million to be used to expand childcare on school grounds. About $5 million of that is from initial capital funding from the Infrastructure Ministry, while $20 million in operating funding will come from the Education and Child Care Ministry over three years.
The provincial government introduced legislation in October 2025 to expand child-care options on school grounds to include before- and after-school care.
Gregson said she’s heard school districts are interested in taking part in the before- and after-school care, but they cannot do it with their existing budgets.
“They need to know that there is capital dollars available and that there will be child-care operating dollars available. So hopefully this budget will give them some assurance that they can do that.”