All-day kindergarten budget may fall short: Funding boost not adequate for start-up
Paul Fontaine, The Abbotsford Times
September 08, 2009

Last Tuesday's budget had $3.4 billion in spending cuts over the next three years, but the all-day kindergarten initiative was one area that actually got a funding boost, yet some are wondering if the $151 million to start the program is enough….

"I'm hearing just general comments that there is a concern that the funding is not actually satisfactory for implementing [the program] and fully covering the costs," said Cindy Schafer, Abbotsford School District board of education chair….

"Some facilities do have space and others we don't so that's going to be a juggling act," said Schafer.

"If you have the space to run all-day kindergarten then that's great, but if you don't, what is that going to look like."

BC Teachers' Federation vice-president Susan Lambert also agreed that the program launch may have been too ambitious on the part of the Liberal government.

"There's no new funding this year to start planning, developing curriculum, or securing space. We could be looking at another broken promise and more disappointment a year from now," she said in a release.