To further support a sustainable federal commitment, Canada committed to introducing early learning and child care legislation in the fall of 2021, following consultations with stakeholders, provincial, territorial and Indigenous partners, to enshrine in law the principles of a Canadian CEC system. The agreement will fund key services and support early childhood educators, including through the development of a salary network. He will spend much of the rest of the day in Coquitlam, where he will meet with Premier John Horgan, who joined him .C to announce child care. The amounts shown are for full-time care. Part-time care is entitled to a pro rata benefit. These investments support the joint commitment of the Government of Canada and the Government of British Columbia to build an inclusive and universal child care system for British Columbia families. The announcement is welcomed by child care advocates such as Sharon Gregson. On June 12, 2017, federal, provincial and territorial ministers responsible for early childhood education and care signed a multilateral framework for early learning and child care. This is an important step where governments agree to work together to address some of the key issues in early childhood education and child care across the country. 3.1 This Agreement is effective upon last signature and will remain in effect until March 31, 2026, unless terminated in writing by Canada or British Columbia in accordance with the terms of Section 10. The funds made available under this Agreement in accordance with Section 4 shall cover the period from 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2026.

OTTAWA — In the almost eight months since the federal government unveiled its ambitious child care plan in its spring budget, eight provinces and one territory have signed the agreement. 4.4.5 In fiscal year 2023 to 2024, Canada will withhold payment of its first instalment if Canada has not received from British Columbia its planned action plan for fiscal year 2023 to 2024 through fiscal year 2025 to 2026, in accordance with the requirements set out in section 5.1. 4.7.1 In the event that payments made to British Columbia exceed the amount to which British Columbia is entitled under the Agreement and/or if unspent funds exceed the provision for carry-forward, the amount of the excess will be a debt to Canada and will be repaid to Canada upon receipt of the relevant notice and within the time specified in the notice. Expanding Supported Child Development and Indigenous-Supported Child Development The continued investment made possible by this federal-provincial partnership will not replace existing provincial funding. The combination of some federal contributions with provincial contributions will increase support for children who need Indigenous-led child care and support. 8.3 If a dispute cannot be resolved within 90 days by designated officials, the dispute will be referred to the deputy ministers most responsible for the ELC CEC and, if they cannot be resolved by them, the federal Minister and the Minister of British Columbia will endeavour to resolve the dispute. 4.8.2 Canada and British Columbia agree that, in each fiscal year of this Agreement, British Columbia may transfer funds between the various categories of programs listed in its Action Plan in Annex 2 to ensure the maximum use of funds. British Columbia is committed to notifying Canada in writing of any change in the allocation of funds, including the rationale for such change. The amendment will be implemented under an agreement between Canada and British Columbia. In addition, suppliers admitted to ccfri will receive additional funding (20% of their additional core funding for CCFRI registered space) to offset inflationary pressures and increased administrative costs associated with enrollment in the program. Through this agreement, the Government of Canada is providing British Columbia with more than $272 million over four years to improve access to high-quality, affordable, flexible and inclusive early learning and child care programs and services. Previous cooperation with Indigenous parents, Indigenous child care providers and Indigenous experts in the field of child care requires the province to build on what works.

This includes understanding the value of an Indigenous-led approach and how Indigenous-led child care is essential for Indigenous children and families as a connection to their cultures. In addition, Indigenous families have determined that all child care in British Columbia must be culturally safe for Indigenous families in order for universal child care to work for them. Indigenous parents and experts have indicated that there is no single model of Indigenous child care that works for all families and children – while building on what works, we also need to ensure that Indigenous families have a choice that meets their different needs. “If you`re a parent, this historic agreement, led by the B.C. government and the federal government, means the help is on the way,” Trudeau said at a news conference in Coquitlam, .C. An ongoing investment of $10 million from fiscal year 2021 to 2022 will create 400 additional affordable or free spaces for Indigenous families by fiscal year 2023 to 2024, in partnership with the First Nations Health Authority (FNHA) and the Aboriginal Head Start Association BC (AHSABC). Of this investment, $8.66 million provides annual operating funding to help these partners implement an Indigenous-led process for the allocation of funds, implementation and evaluation of these Indigenous-led spaces. $1.34 million in small capital will be allocated to ahS transition support programs in fiscal year 2021 to 2022 and fiscal year 2022 to 2023 to ensure that repairs and renovations to support program quality can be completed on time. The financial statements shall be prepared in accordance with Canadian generally accepted accounting principles and the audit shall be conducted by the Auditor General of British Columbia or his assistant or by an independent accounting firm registered under the laws of British Columbia and in accordance with the Generally Accepted Auditing Standards of Canada 2.2.4 Canada and British Columbia also agree: Define and deliver innovative approaches to improve the quality, accessibility, affordability, flexibility and inclusiveness of ELCC systems, taking into account those most in need.

Horgan said the pandemic has only made it clearer how important child care is to the economy. The pandemic has shown that without good child care, it is virtually impossible for parents, especially mothers, to build a career, Trudeau said. VANCOUVER – The Government of Canada and the Government of British Columbia have agreed to extend the Canada-British Columbia Early Learning and Child Care Agreement. In addition, the Government of Canada is making a one-time investment of $48.8 million in 2021-2022 to support the recruitment and retention of educators in British Columbia. “This is the bilateral agreement we were hoping for. We`ve been saying for 10 years that the federal government needs to be part of the solution, and now they`ve stepped up to the plate,” Gregson said. We want websites worth $10 to be built quickly into existing public and nonprofit programs…