News on Kindergarten BC
Boards of Education will also be given a new opportunity to provide early learning programs to preschoolers.
Your government pledged to use under-utilized school spaces as public spaces to deliver on public priorities.
Will this new Early Childhood Learning Agency be part of MCFD, MOE or will it be independent? Who will be part of this new Agency?How does this announcement impact current child care capital grant applicants who may be accepted to receive funding? (As they must sign an agreement to provide care for multiple years, what will the impact of this be when 3, 4 and 5 year olds are eventually able to attend all day kindergarten?)Is the current funding provided under the child care operating funding program stable or will it now be redirected to pay for this new initiative?What impact will this announcement have on the existing child care operators? Will there be a process to integrate them into this new system or will they simply now be providers of after school care services for children three years of age and up?What will the educational requirements be for the staff working in the new all day kindergartens? Will ECE staff be qualified to work in all day kindergartens or will it be kindergarten teachers with a degree?Assuming this initiative is part of education, what will this mean for infant-toddler care in BC? How will the few spaces that there are be able to sustain themselves if the 3-5 care stream is removed from within child care?Will the full day kindergarten program be mandatory at certain age levels? If so, which levels…3 years, 4 years or 5 years?