Bill 19 — School Amendment Act, 2025

I call Committee of the Whole on Bill 19, School Amendment Act, 2025, back to order. I’ve received the amendment, moved by the member for Chilliwack North. The motion is to strike out “to the child” and substitute “to the child, provided that the fees do not exceed a cost of $10 per child for each day that the child care program is provided.” I’ve deemed that the motion is out of order, as a result of there being expenditure.

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Bill 19 — School Amendment Act, 2025

I call Committee of the Whole on Bill 19, School Amendment Act, 2025, back to order. We are on clause 1.

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Bill 19 — School Amendment Act, 2025

Members, we are on Bill 19, the School Amendment Act, 2025. It’s an enabling piece of legislation. Clause 1 is speaking about whether or not a board is able to provide child care. The questions that one is asking have to relate as close as possible to the amendments that are here. If you would like to rephrase your question, and then the minister would be able to answer the question, that would be appreciated. Thank you.

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Bill 19 — School Amendment Act, 2025

Good afternoon, Members. I call Committee of the Whole on Bill 19, School Amendment Act, 2025, to order. Recognizing the Minister of Education and Child Care for any opening comments.

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Raj Chouhan

BC NDP

10/27/2025

Bill 19 — School Amendment Act, 2025

Bill 19, School Amendment Act, 2025, has been read a third time and has passed.

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Raj Chouhan

BC NDP

10/27/2025

Bill 19 — School Amendment Act, 2025

Members, the question before the House is third reading of Bill 19, intituled School Amendment Act, 2025. Before we conduct the vote, I want to remind those participating remotely that the Clerk will be contacting you shortly. Those who are voting “aye,” please say it clearly, or you can say “yes.” If you are saying “nay,” you can say “no.” But nobody is to say “yea.”

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Mable Elmore

BC NDP

10/27/2025

Bill 19 — School Amendment Act, 2025

The question is third reading of Bill 19, intituled School Amendment Act, 2025. Division has been called.

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Bill 19 — School Amendment Act, 2025

Section A reports Bill 19 complete without amendment.

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Hon. Mike Farnworth

BC NDP

10/27/2025

Bill 31 — Energy Statutes Amendment Act, 2025 (continued)

In this chamber, I call continued second reading of Bill 31, the Energy Statutes Amendment Act. In the Douglas Fir Room, Section A, I call committee stage on Bill 19, School Amendment Act.

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Lorne Doerkson

Conservative Party of British Columbia

10/22/2025

Seeing no further speakers, Members, the question is second reading of Bill 19, intituled School Amendment Act, 2025.

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I am very pleased to rise today in strong support of these amendments to the School Act, or Bill 19, which will make it easier to deliver child care on school grounds, right in the heart of our communities. As Parliamentary Secretary for Rural Development, I spend a lot of time in small towns, villages and rural areas across our province. One thing I hear time and again from families, from employers and from health care professionals and other occupations is this: we need more child care, and we need it close to home. In many of our smaller communities, families don’t have multiple child care options. There may not be a large non-profit or private operator nearby. Sometimes there’s just one school, and if there’s no space there, families are stuck. That can mean that parents can’t return to work, that local businesses struggle to hire and that young families have to make tough decisions to possibly move away. These amendments are about fixing that. They remove barriers that have made it difficult for school districts to operate child care, and they open the door for districts to offer care for all ages, including infants and toddlers, and during non-school days like pro-D days and summer breaks. This is a practical, rural-friendly solution that uses what we already have, our schools. Schools are trusted, welcoming places that belong to the community. They’re built for children. They’re safe, accessible and already staffed by people who care deeply about kids’ learning and development. Instead of forcing families to drive long distances or to choose between work and child care, we’re making it possible to bring quality, affordable care right to where children already are, in their schools. We’ve seen this approach work through pilot programs in Okanagan Similkameen, Nanaimo and Chilliwack. For rural B.C., it’s especially promising. In some communities, the local school may be the only viable site for a new program, and these amendments finally make it easier for school districts to step up and fill that need. I know that across rural British Columbia, boards are eager to be part of the solution. They see the demand in their communities, they want to help families, but until now there have been real administrative and legislative barriers that made it difficult for them to operate child care directly. This bill changes that. It empowers districts to deliver care sustainably, allowing them to recover reasonable costs for things like educator wages, maintenance and cleaning, just like any other child care provider. That means programs can be financially viable, stable and responsive to local needs. This is something families, school boards and community leaders have been asking for. It’s a practical, people-focused change that will make life easier for parents and kids in every part of the province, especially in smaller and remote communities. We also know how transformative affordable, high-quality child care has been for families and for our rural economies. Since our government launched ChildCareBC in 2018, we have seen incredible progress. Parents are today paying on average less than half what they would have without these investments, saving around $6,700 a year. Over 24,000 children are now receiving care at $10 a day or less, and many pay no fees at all. That’s over $3 billion that has stayed in the pockets of hard-working B.C. families since 2018, money that goes right back into our local economies, into small businesses, grocery stores, recreation programs and the daily life of our communities. It’s not just about affordability; it’s also about availability. We’ve funded more than 41,500 new licensed child care spaces across the province, and more than 26,000 of those are already open and serving families. Today there are 169,000 licensed child care spaces in B.C., an increase of almost 50 percent since 2018. That’s a remarkable achievement, but we know that rural communities often face unique challenges — smaller populations, limited infrastructure and sometimes a shortage of early childhood educators. That’s why these changes are so important. By allowing districts to deliver child care right in schools, we’re not only using existing infrastructure; we’re also creating local jobs. We’re giving early childhood educators and school staff new opportunities to work in their home communities, often year-round in stable, rewarding roles. We’re also helping kids make a smoother transition from early learning into kindergarten, because they’re cared for in the same familiar setting, often by the same trusted adults. Now, I want to be clear. This is not about replacing our valued community-based providers. In fact, more than 90 percent of child care on school grounds today is delivered by third-party operators. They are essential partners in this work. These amendments simply give school districts the ability to step in where there’s a gap, particularly in rural or remote areas where other options may not exist. This approach is about partnership, not competition. It’s about making sure every child, no matter where they live, has access to safe, affordable and high-quality care. For parents, the affordability supports continue to apply. Families using child care operated by school districts will still benefit from the child care fee reduction initiative, which can reduce costs by up to $900 per month, and from the affordable child care benefit, which can lower or even eliminate fees for low- and middle-income families. This legislation also sets the stage for continued collaboration. The Ministry of Education and Child Care will be working with districts through a new technical advisory group to guide implementation, looking at what upgrades might be needed, identifying funding opportunities and making sure these programs are set up for success. That’s exactly how we should be doing this work, hand in hand with local partners, listening to what communities need and adapting our approach to fit rural realities. At the end of the day, this isn’t just about policy or regulations; it’s about people. It’s about parents who can finally take a job because they know there’s reliable care nearby, it’s about educators who get new opportunities to serve their communities, and it’s about children who get the best possible start in life — learning, playing and growing in safe and supportive spaces. I have seen firsthand what happens when child care is available and affordable in rural communities. Young families choose to stay, local employers can hire more easily, and the community itself becomes stronger and more sustainable. These amendments to the School Act are a simple but powerful way to make that possible. They build on our government’s strong record under ChildCareBC, and they make sure rural and remote regions share fully in the benefits of that progress. I’m proud to stand today in full support of this legislation. It’s practical, it’s people-centred, and it’s going to make a real difference for families, especially in the small towns and rural communities that are the backbone of this province.

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I rise to speak about Bill 19. Public schools are trusted community hubs designed specifically for kids to learn, play and grow, and they have incredible potential to deliver more kinds of child care that families need in every corner of this province. During my time at North Cowichan council, we heard from families about the need. We were working to remove barriers in the School Act so that districts could offer care to children of all ages, including infants and toddlers; and during non-school days, like professional development days and seasonal breaks. Districts see the important roles that they can play and are eager to work with the child care sector and the ministry to expand these cares on the school grounds. We heard from the minister yesterday. Our successful school child care pilots in places like Okanagan Similkameen, Nanaimo and Chilliwack show us what’s important and possible, and we’re empowering all boards to be able to take part. This is something families, districts and education partners have been asking for, and it is a powerful shift towards improving access to child care, while using the existing space affected. The Cowichan Valley had the pleasure of sitting down with the minister and myself and having meaningful conversations. We talked about all of the concerns and issues, looking at thinking outside the box on how we can approach the concerns and everything that is happening in our province on child care. High-quality, affordable, reliable child care has been a game-changer for families and the B.C. economy. Thanks to B.C.’s child care investment, parents are paying an average of less than half of what they would without their investment, saving them an average of $6,700 per year, and thousands more children are in licensed care. We have gone even further to support vulnerable families through our income-tested benefits, with 24,000 children receiving high-quality care at below $10 a day, with many paying no fee at all. Since 2018, more than $3 billion has stayed in the pockets of hard-working B.C. families. Child care is now more affordable, with more spaces and more professional educators than ever before. Since the launch of ChildCareBC in 2018, more than 41,500 new licensed child care spaces have been funded, with more than 26,200 of these spaces open and serving families. We’re seeing these benefits roll out through the Cowichan Valley as well, and families have shared with me, at the doorstep, how important that is to them and their families. Throughout the province, there are now 160,000 licensed child care spaces, which is 47 percent, or 54,000 spaces. The introduced amendments to the School Act will enable school districts in B.C. to operate more kinds of child care on the school grounds, which families need. With these changes, they’ll be able to offer child care to children of all ages, including infants and toddlers, during non-school days like pro-D day and winter, spring and summer breaks. I heard about this in my community as well, about how daycares and the timing was off in offering these spaces for children and working families. It didn’t match up to their timetable. So this is very meaningful for them. These changes will allow school districts to improve access to child care more quickly and efficiently in existing buildings, especially in the communities where the need is greatest. Since 2018, our government and the government of Canada have invested nearly $8 billion through ChildCareBC. This program has helped fund more than 41,500 new licensed child care spaces. We also know that families in rural and remote areas face distinct challenges in accessing child care. These changes could support expanding access in rural and remote communities where there may not be third-party child care providers, and districts could potentially fill that need. Districts see the important role they can play and are eager to work with the child care sector and the ministry to expand their care on the school grounds. Growing child care availability in trusted spaces already built to serve kids is good news for families in B.C. These spaces can opt into the province’s child care fee reduction initiative program, which reduces costs for child care for families by up to $900 per child, per month. High-quality, affordable, reliable child care has been a game-changer for families in B.C. and for the economy. Thanks to B.C.’s children’s care investments, parents are paying, on average, less than half of what they would with these investments, saving them money, as I said before. We are proud to have led the way in B.C. to secure federal funding that has supported hundreds of thousands of families in B.C. and across Canada. With economic uncertainty and federal budget constraints, we are focused on making sure high-quality child care that families can afford is available and sustainable into the future. That means collaborating with our federal partners, assessing what works and what’s not and finding these solutions that better support people. The Minister of Education and Child Care is to deliver effective before- and after-school care. She is aware of the families’ continued need for all types of child care for kids of all ages, including comprehensive coverage that extends to non-school days. These proposed amendments to the School Act aim to help meet the need for child care in our communities by removing barriers to board-operated care and improving the viability of these programs. Thank you, and I support this bill.

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Lorne Doerkson

Conservative Party of British Columbia

10/22/2025

Thank you, Member. I appreciate your input. I appreciate all of the input this afternoon. I am terribly interested in hearing about Bill 19 this afternoon. I can appreciate the reach that you’re trying to make, Member, to the federal government, but I am very interested in hearing specifically about how Bill 19 plays out or might play out in British Columbia. We’ll return back to Chilliwack North, and I would ask members to give the floor to this member.

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Hon. Lisa Beare

BC NDP

10/22/2025

I do believe we are on Bill 19, and I would please ask if the Speaker would remind the member that we are on Bill 19 and to speak to the bill.

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Bill 19 — School Amendment Act, 2025 (continued)

All right. I’ll tell you what. It’s actually all linked together, Mr. Speaker — the federal funding and the British Columbia funding, and the Cardus report actually does link it all together. I’ll just move ahead here. Yesterday, October 21, the federal Auditor General released a performance audit of the CW-ELCC, Canada-wide early learning and child resource system, which is linked to B.C. The findings mirrored the very concerns that opposition has raised for months. Of the 250,000 new spaces Ottawa promised, only 112,000 had been created, less than half the target. With most of the shortfall expected in the final two years, the Auditor General warned that families across Canada risk being left without the child care they were promised. On October 1, 2025, just six days after this bill, Bill 19, was introduced, cabinet quietly appointed a new assistant deputy minister to lead British Columbia’s child care division through order in council. The individual chosen to lead the division, Michelle Lattimore, did not come from within British Columbia’s public service but directly from Ottawa’s inner circle. She has held some of the senior-most federal roles connected to early learning and intergovernmental coordination, serving as director general of the client experience branch at Immigration. From that position, she oversaw the federal negotiation and implementation of every Canada-wide agreement and delivered the technical briefing on Bill C-35 to parliament — the same briefing where it was explained, and I quote: “Funding may also be withheld if a jurisdiction is unable to meet the agreed-upon objectives as set out in the agreement.” That same power to withhold funding is written plainly in section 4.4.7 of the Canada-B.C. agreement, which authorizes Canada to withhold amounts payable if British Columbia is unable to meet the objectives of the agreement. That raises an unavoidable question. Did Ottawa threaten to withhold or even hint at withholding its funding unless the director general of the federal child care secretariat was brought to oversee B.C.’s program? It’s a question. If so, that is not a fundamental breach of jurisdiction.

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Lorne Doerkson

Conservative Party of British Columbia

10/22/2025

Bill 19 — School Amendment Act, 2025 (continued)

Chilliwack North, I would like you to get to Bill 19 very quickly.

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Lorne Doerkson

Conservative Party of British Columbia

10/22/2025

Bill 19 — School Amendment Act, 2025 (continued)

Chilliwack North, we are trying to talk about Bill 19, and there is some question as to where we’re going here. If you wouldn’t mind bringing it back to 19, that would be great.

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Bill 19 — School Amendment Act, 2025 (continued)

Every once in a while in this chamber, we get a bill that actually gives us the chance to agree — at principle, at least. That’s something that makes sense, and I think that Bill 19, the School Amendment Act, is one of those moments. This bill aims to make child care more accessible for families by allowing schools to open their doors on non-school days, things like professional development days, winter and spring breaks and even through the summer months. Honestly, that’s an idea most British Columbians can get behind, I’m sure. Let’s face it. Child care in this province has become a crisis. Families are struggling to find spaces, the costs are skyrocketing and parents are being forced to make impossible choices between work and family. It’s pretty tough. I’ve spoken to families across my riding who are just trying to keep their heads above water, and child care is one of the biggest challenges that they face. I’ll give credit where credit is due. The intent behind this bill is good. It’s practical, and it shows at least some recognition from this government that families are under strain and that something needs to be done about it. But good intentions alone aren’t enough. We can all agree that this is a good idea, but the question I have is whether it’s something we can actually do and do effectively. Because as we know, government ideas are one thing; making them work in the real world is something entirely different. We already have limited resources. We already have a shortage of qualified child care workers. We already have teachers, support staff and administrators stretched thin, trying to do more than they can. I think it’s fair to ask: how exactly is the government going to pay for this? I think it’s a valid question. How will school districts manage to hire, train and support additional staff to make these extended child care programs possible without cutting corners somewhere else? If we’re going to make this work, we can’t just throw people into these positions without proper training. We need to make sure that the individuals we hire to help ease this burden are properly trained, properly supported and ready for the responsibilities that come with caring for our children, our treasures. We cannot afford to lower our standards just to fill a gap. Quality matters, safety matters, and consistency matters. While this idea of opening up schools for child care makes sense on paper, we also have to consider what this means for the people already working in our schools — teachers, custodians, EAs, administrators. These are the same people who’ve been stretched beyond capacity for years. I can tell you that we thank them. We thank these people because without them, where would our kids be? We can’t simply pile more on their shoulders and expect everything to just run smoothly. Another point I think deserves serious discussion is the potential impact this could have on privately owned daycares. Many of those are small, family-run businesses that have been surviving in their communities and serving their communities. They’ve invested their lives and their savings and their passion into providing care for children. I can relate to this, actually. My wife ran a daycare out of our house when we first got married, when our kids were young. She’s got a heart for kids. Those people work hard, and they have a heart for it. And you know what? There are not a lot of people that do, so they’re very, very special people that we want to make sure that we protect. My concern is that this could unintentionally create a competition between the public school system and private daycare operators. That’s something that we should all make sure that we’re careful about. We want to create these options, but we also don’t want to cut the income from these people that are doing this wonderful work. We need both. We need the public system to step up and help meet demand. I agree. But we also need those private operators, especially in smaller communities like mine where they’re often the only child care options available. The last thing we want to do is solve one problem and create another. I would urge the government, as this program rolls out, to make sure they’re not pushing private providers out of business or creating an unfair playing field. I suspect this will be a conversation we’ll have again in the future. It’s one I’ll be paying a lot of close attention to. Now, just back to a couple of issues. British Columbians have heard a lot of big promises over the years. They’ve heard about affordability, housing, health care and now child care. In most cases, the story ends the same way. The idea sounds good, but the execution falls short. I want to make sure I ask and ask again: where is the money coming from? How will the government ensure this program is sustainable not just for the next year or two but long term? Because if it’s not, there’s no point in doing this. If it’s not a success…. We need more than just press releases. We need good ideas that are actually going to be long term, with real staffing and real accountability. I represent a rural riding. I can tell you right now that if we’re struggling to find teachers, nurses and bus drivers, we’re going to have a hard time trying to find qualified child care as well, the right people to staff these positions. That’s not just a Kootenay problem; that’s a provincewide problem. So while I do support the spirit of this bill, because it’s clear we do need something and we need to help families, I remain cautious about whether or not we can do this efficiently, affordably and fairly. At the end of the day, the goal is simple. Give families a bit of relief, give kids a safe place to be, and give communities a stronger foundation to build on. But let’s make sure we do this right. Let’s make sure this isn’t just a headline but a real, lasting solution that actually helps families today and for years to come. Above all, let’s make sure that when we expand child care, we do it with proper planning, proper training, proper funding. These are our families. These are our children. We need to do this right. This is something we can’t mess up. I will be supporting the general direction, but I’ll also be watching closely to make sure this government follows through in a way that’s responsible, realistic and respectful to all the taxpayers. Because friends, at the end of the day, our job is to make life easier for families. It’s not to make promises that we can’t afford to keep. I really look forward to watching committee stage on this.

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Bill 19 — School Amendment Act, 2025 (continued)

I’d like to begin by acknowledging that we’re gathered today on the traditional unceded territories of the lək̓ʷəŋən-speaking people, known as Songhees and xʷsepsəm Nations. I’m honoured to rise in full support of Bill 19, the School Amendment Act. As a mother and someone who has spoken with countless families within Esquimalt-Colwood on how critical it is that we continue to expand access to affordable, high-quality and reliable child care, this bill represents another important step towards that goal. I will say to the opposition who just spoke, I encourage him to look up school district 62. In one of the schools that just opened, they are actually doing this. I’m also happy to connect him to learn a little bit, because some of the questions he had might actually be addressed there. Public schools are trusted community hubs, places where children learn, play and grow. They are also ideally positioned to deliver the kinds of child care services family in every corner of British Columbia needs. By removing barriers and allowing school districts to more easily partner in the delivery of child care, this legislation helps to ensure that families have access to care when and where they need it most. When I was knocking on doors during the election, I heard from so many parents who were deeply worried about child care, parents who were unsure how they would manage when parental leave ended, or who were stuck on endless wait-lists. I can tell you I remember personally that feeling. My husband and I put our oldest daughter on a wait-list before she was born and before we even knew her name. The anxiety that came with not knowing whether you would find a spot was sometimes overwhelming. Just two weeks before my husband returned to work, we finally secured a space, and the relief was felt immensely. But I also know that not every family gets that relief. I’ve spoken with health care workers who struggle to find child care that matches their shift work, with military families who move here and find themselves at the back of long wait-lists because of how our current system operates. Those are the real challenges, but they are exactly the kind of challenges that Bill 19 helps us address. Our government has made child care a priority because we know that when parents have access to reliable care, they can fully participate in the workforce, pursue education and contribute to their communities. It’s good for families, and it’s also good for our economy. Thanks to historic child care investments under ChildCareBC, parents are now paying, on average, less than half of what they would without these supports, saving approximately $6,700 per year. Thousands more children are in licensed care than ever before. We’ve also expanded income testing benefits so that 24,000 children are now receiving high-quality care at or below $10 a day, with many families paying no fees at all. When I knocked on one door, a family was paying $3,000 a month before they were eligible. Once they were eligible…. That $3,000 now goes back into the pocket, per month, to that family. I want everyone for a minute to think of paying $3,000 for child care and how that was for that family. I can tell you, when I got to talk to them about getting the eligibility and now having affordable child care, the difference it made in their lives. Since 2008, more than $3 billion has stayed in the pockets of hard-working B.C. families as a direct result of these investments. Child care is now more affordable, with more spaces and more professional educators than ever before. Since the launch of ChildCareBC, over 41,000 new licensed spaces have been funded, and more than 26,000 of those have already opened and are serving families. Across the province, we now have 169,000 licensed child care spaces, representing a 47 percent increase since 2018. These numbers are not just statistics. They represent families who are less stressed, children who are thriving and communities that are stronger and more connected. As both a mother and an MLA, I am deeply committed to ensuring that every family in Esquimalt-Colwood and across British Columbia has access to the child care they need. Bill 19 builds on the strong foundation we’ve created and keeps us moving forward toward a future where more affordable, accessible child care is available to every family. You’ve heard us stand up here and say and talk about many things within our toolbox. This is another tool ensuring that we’re having child care spaces. For all of those reasons, I am proud to stand here and support Bill 19, the School Amendment Act.

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Harwinder Sandhu

BC NDP

10/22/2025

Bill 19 — School Amendment Act, 2025 (continued)

I am standing proudly as the representative for Vernon-Lumby, the most beautiful constituency in the province, with wonderful, kind and caring people, which is located on the traditional territory of the Syilx/Okanagan Indian Nation. I rise today in strong support for Bill 19, legislation that builds on our government’s ongoing commitment to making high-quality, affordable and accessible child care a reality for every family in British Columbia. There are several reasons I do that, and that includes my personal lived experiences and having seen the benefits around the community. Since 2017, our B.C. NDP government has worked tirelessly to transform child care from a privilege into a core service, which is much needed — a service that supports families, strengthens communities and drives our economy forward. Since 2018, our government, with the partnership of the government of Canada, has invested nearly $8 billion in investments in ChildCareBC, helping to fund more than 41,500 new child care spaces. That includes my own community of Vernon-Lumby, in the last term known as Vernon-Monashee. We’ve seen firsthand the benefits of getting hundreds of child care spaces — in fact, more than 1,000 affordable child care spaces that have been a game-changer for many families. I regularly hear the gratitude from families. We’ve opened up two brand-new child care centres right in Vernon; another brand-new facility in Coldstream, which is open, taking care of children and providing that nurturing care; and also a new centre in Lavington. Each one was built through collaboration. Not only that, but we’ve also invested in building 44 child care spaces at the Okanagan College Vernon campus. This not only provides the child care that parents need but also removes barriers for many parents. Often they come to get advanced education, but they have already knocked on many barriers, and the biggest barrier that remains is child care. That child care centre has been changing lives for many parents who now have accessible child care right at the campus. Another innovative example in the region is the child care centre at KF Aerospace near Kelowna Airport, one of the few in all of North America to provide on-site child care for aerospace workers. This helps businesses, this helps community, and this is exactly what forward-thinking investments look like. It’s supporting working families while strengthening local industries. We’ve heard from boards that for these programs, the investments need to be sustainable so that they can grow and be responsive to local needs. With the changes proposed in this bill, districts will be able to recover reasonable costs, like administrative and maintenance expenses, just as non-profit centres operate today. I’ve heard several speeches from the members of the opposition and from members on this side, and one thought was shared repeatedly by some members of the opposition. Is it going to take away from private child care providers? I must say that having to work directly with non-profits and private child care owners, the need is huge. As I mentioned, we’ve created thousands of child care spaces across the province, and many more in my constituency, but the need is huge. There are more spaces that are needed, and this will help to fill that gap. My community, Vernon-Lumby, and Vernon in particular, is among the first communities in B.C. to have piloted a seamless before- and after-school child care program. They piloted this, and the program has been life-changing for so many parents. I want to sincerely thank the city of Vernon, the village of Lumby, the district of Coldstream, the boys and girls club, Maven Lane and all the other non-profit organizations and child care providers in my community for their partnership and for making all these programs such a success. As a longtime registered nurse of more than two decades, becoming a young widow and, at one stage of my life, having two little girls, I know firsthand how much I needed these spaces. There was no way I could leave the hospital, whether it was a blood transfusion hanging or I needed to be with my patients. You can’t leave some work settings. They could be construction workers or anybody working in those settings. Parents don’t have time. We’re working long shifts. It’s now Monday to Friday, eight to four. I wasn’t able to go pick up my daughters from school and then drop off at child care spaces. Even then there were not enough child care spaces, let alone affordable. It was $59 per day at the time when I was getting the costs around. I remember that, how it could change lives for many. I relied on friends, families. I would drop them off, and sometimes I couldn’t even pick them up. I had to ask friends: “Can you go pick up?” Sometimes I would ask my little daughters to walk to so-and-so’s house. Even though everybody is there to help, you know how you feel guilty of being a burden. But you’re taking care of people, and you’re honoured with that work. Then my mom helped, but not everybody is so fortunate enough to have that kind of a support system in place. That is why this investment will help. I’ve been thinking about many workers, and I’ve been having flashbacks. That’s why I wanted to stand here in support of this and share that experience, how this is going to help many parents. This work doesn’t stop at the public sector. In our community, private child care providers are also thriving since we have started investing in child care. I remember initially, shopping at the Costco in Kelowna, one private child care provider came…. Initially, there was fear. There was misinformation, in 2018-2019, that this investment in child care was going to take away business from private providers. We had this wholesome discussion. I shared that we’re not working against anybody. We want to work together. Yes, our goal is to provide as many spaces, but we don’t have the infrastructure. Now that private child care owner, and there are many others, proudly shares: “I am so thrilled.” Now he owns three. He expanded to buy another one in Vernon — the need was there — and also a third one in Kamloops. He says: “Harwinder, thank you so much. The only reason I’m thriving is because of these investments and partnership. Otherwise, it wasn’t easy to sustain and to operate this business.” It is helping one another. In fact, there are many partnerships with non-profits, public and private providers. Working together, we can achieve a lot more. Collectively, since 2018, more than $3 billion has stayed in parents’ pockets, hard-working B.C. families. An average family is saving more than $900 per month per child. As I mentioned, when I was running around getting the quotes, that was mid-2000s. I’m talking about 2008, 2010, 2012, that era — $59 even then was a lot, and there were not even enough spaces. That’s why I’m a huge supporter of this. Now there are $10-a-day child care spaces, but we aim to expand those. Also, families are paying no more than $17 a day. The goal is always to make it more affordable. We know the results; those are collective figures. Families in Vernon, Lavington, Coldstream and Lumby also saved more than $25 million, which went directly back to parents’ pockets. These are the numbers that can be found anywhere. They’re openly available. At the doorsteps, I’ve heard from many, many people. I go do school visits. I heard from a teacher who had moved from Alberta. We were talking about the work we all do collectively, regardless of parties, what we do and what our goal is, no matter which side we stand on. It’s always for the betterment of our community. That teacher wasn’t very political. She had a very non-partisan stand. She shared with the class that she didn’t know the history about how B.C. was the first province to champion child care under our former colleague, the minister then, Katrina Chen, who championed this. Then the federal government came on board, and our province was the first one to sign that agreement. Then the teacher said: “Now it makes sense.” She said: “I was not able to work full time, nor was my husband. We were both part-timers.” She said that since they have now affordable child care in Vernon, she’s working full time and so is her husband, and the family is thriving. That was so reassuring for me to hear because, again, these stats, numbers in papers, mean one thing, but when we hear from people the difference it’s making in their lives, it’s another thing. We see these investments into action. Child care investments empower people. They also strengthen our economy. There have been thousands of studies in Canada, in North America and all around the world. Every dollar spent in providing affordable child care brings several dollars of benefit to our economy. It supports businesses; it supports people. That is why I’m proud of our Greater Vernon chamber. From day one, we’ve been working together. They have been a huge supporter of investments in affordable child care, and they’re very open and public about it. They appreciate the ongoing investments, and they encourage us to continue to do more. As I said, I’ve heard many stories. A parent came to me when a couple of my colleagues from this side were visiting Vernon. She stood up, and she said: “I was paying more than $2,000 per month for my daughter, Goldie.” She said: “Now it’s less than $300.” That is the difference it’s making. There are so many other stories. I was at Kelowna Airport, coming to Victoria, and I heard my name. Often, as politicians, when we hear our name, we’re ready to hear feedback or criticism, maybe. As a nurse, I’m always open to criticism and constructive feedback. That’s what helps us to be better people, better representatives and better community members. That parent, Roy, said: “I just want to say thank you.” He said: “My family and my partner were saving. We have two kids.” It’s more than $1,800 for both that they’re saving. He said: “That money is going back to our mortgage payment.” This person happened to know the member sitting next to me as well. It filled my heart with gratitude. That’s why we can’t slow down. That is what affordability looks like. That is what progress feels like. That is what Bill 19 will continue to strengthen. By amending the School Act, we’re making it easier for school districts to offer care for children of all ages, including infants and toddlers and during non-school days. We’re using our existing spaces in our schools, which are already trusted hubs in every community, to deliver more of the care families need. I strongly believe that it also provides that consistency for children where they are working together. They had educational time, and now they can be nurtured and cared for by friendly faces. Districts have been asking for this flexibility. When I talk to parents in my community, there are still parents on the waiting list. Yes, we’re building a lot more, and we’re working with private child care providers, but child care spaces can’t come soon enough. This bill will help us to utilize the spaces that we already have, and it’ll make affordable child care available and accessible quicker. As we know, we’re waiting for many more spaces to be built. We cannot be reluctant and be skeptical about these investments. We cannot downplay the value of early learning or ignore the needs of working families. We need to invest in people in every way we can. We are committed on this side, and I’m pretty sure all members will continue to support this if there is some opposition. I cannot see the reason why anybody would oppose this or be skeptical, as we have been proving this since 2017-18. We need to continue to invest in a resilient economy. I strongly believe, and say it repeatedly, that we cannot have a strong, resilient economy without healthier, thriving families and communities, because they are the ones who build our economies. They are the ones who contribute to economies. When people can save money and they have child care, both parents can work to their fullest potential. When they have the disposable income, it gets invested back into the local businesses and the economy. Bill 19 is about exactly that, building a future. Every child has a chance to thrive, where every parent can participate in the workforce, and where every community can benefit from shared prosperity, including rural communities and communities that don’t yet have the availability of accessible, affordable spaces. As we move forward with this legislation, let’s remember what truly is at stake: the success of our children, the strength of our families and the sustainability of our economy. Also, this bill helps to include many, many hard-working families and workers who, despite our building more affordable child care, didn’t have the seamless model, where a child can stay there for longer, extended hours. This is going to be such a huge game-changer, because when we invest in people, we invest in the future of this province. I strongly believe that is what Bill 19 helps us to do, and I’m proud to stand here to support this bill. I just want to say, before I close my remarks, that while we’re making investments in affordable child care spaces, we must never forget the child care providers who are the backbone of this program. We cannot deliver effective and safe child care without them. It takes a very special, caring, kind person, with lots of patience working with children with different needs, to do that kind of work. I want to give my heartfelt gratitude to every single early childhood educator, every child care worker that is there every day, in and out, working and making sure our children are safe. That is why we did increase their wages multiple times. We’re committed to be there to support them. We value you, we see you, and we appreciate you. Thank you so much for all you do. I want to extend my appreciation for the local partners, as well as non-profits, private child care providers and at-home family child care providers. Thank you. You are building the future of this province. When we’re looking at various issues that societies are facing, then we talk about their root cause. If we want to address these challenges, we need to address the root cause. It starts with investing in early childhood care and affordable child care, because nurturing, safe care does help these children to grow and thrive. It gives them self-confidence and helps them to become successful adults, and it helps our economy collectively. I am proud to support this. I want to thank the minister for putting this forward, because this is going to change many lives in such a positive way. It’s going to help strengthen our communities and our economy and support our families. Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to speak.

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