CANADA, March 7 - Lisa Beare, Minister of Education and Child Care, and Rohini Arora, parliamentary secretary for child care, have released the following statement about the extension of the Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement with British Columbia:

“We welcome the Government of Canada’s continued investment in early learning and child care here in B.C., as we are stronger when we work together.

“The federal government is committing more than $5.3 billion over five years. This investment will assist our government in supporting families throughout our province as we work to make child care a core service people can rely on. Access to affordable and quality child care is life-changing for parents and it’s good for our communities and our economy as a whole.

“From speaking with constituents, families and advocates, we know the relief that comes with securing quality child care you can afford. The additional federal funding over the next five years will assist our government in continuing to make child care more affordable for families. By increasing access to child care, this funding will support early childhood educators and others in the child care workforce to deliver the quality child care families need.

“In 2021, B.C. was the first jurisdiction in Canada to sign a Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement with the Government of Canada. We look forward to continuing to work with the federal government to deliver on our shared priorities and work together to build a future where all families have access to affordable, quality, inclusive and culturally relevant child care, no matter where they live.

“As we face a time of economic uncertainty, investing in child care is helping us build a stronger, more secure future, and we will continue supporting families and making life better for British Columbians.”