City to ask B.C. gov't for $6m in child-care funding
The Vancouver Province
06 Oct 2006
By: John Bermingham

Politicians grappled with the city's child-care shortage yesterday.

Vancouver City Council unanimously agreed to ask the B.C. government for $6 million to save its subsidy program for non-profit daycares serving downtown families.

Mayor Sam Sullivan also promised to allow more people to set up daycares.

Council was told the city's Childcare Endowment Reserve, which has collected $6 million from property developers' fees, will run out of money in 20 years if Victoria doesn't match it.

About 1,800 families are on the waiting list for 500 licensed spaces, of which only 144 qualify for the subsidy.

Most parents pay about $1,000 a month for a space. If the B.C. operating grant is cancelled and the city's subsidy program ends, parents could be charged another $440 a month.

The province has $127 million set aside for child care, but has yet to announce a child-care plan.

Sullivan said a number of private operators have applied to open daycares, but have been turned down.

"It disturbs me that parents are being prevented from accessing child care in Vancouver because of council's restrictive guidelines," said Sullivan.

An amendment by Coun. Raymond Louie instructed city staff to increase child-care spaces by five per cent in the next two years.

Staff will also look at offering the grant citywide.

"Child care is equally important as housing," said Louie.

"It's servicing a segment of society who cannot advocate for themselves. It's our job to do that."