Jason Howe and Anita Bathe, News 1130

The premier is putting money into new child care spaces but is dismissing calls for a $10 a day plan.

… Christy Clark announced 2,000 new child care spaces over the next three years, at a $32-million cost.

“We are going to be focusing on creating spaces in communities that need them the most.”

There are ongoing calls for $1.5-billion to create a $10 a day child care system, but Clark says there’s no money for that.

“The $10 a day strategy that they have in Quebec has proven unaffordable even for Quebec.”

Clark says over the next eight years, she wants to see 13,000 new child care spaces.

Pam Preston with Westcoast Child Care Resource Centre says there’s a growth of almost 6,000 spaces a year and so 2,000 space over three years is less than the natural growth.

She wants more clarity on where these spots will go as well. “We’re not sure if that means geographically spaces across the province…would they go to places that haven’t got as much or would we be looking at age groups where there’s not as much child care.”

Preston says these spots don’t mean anything if the people needing them can’t afford them.