In one of the first major policy announcements of the provincial election, John Horgan says the BC NDP will expand $10 a day child care if re-elected.
In a statement Thursday morning the NDP touted their record on child care, including offering a new Child Opportunity Benefit that provides scaling payments for families with net incomes up to $80,000 a year.
“I’m proud of the work we’ve done to create more child care spaces and make life more affordable for families with kids,” said BC NDP leader John Horgan.
“We know there’s still more work to do, and we look forward to a renewed federal commitment helping us get there. By making sure child care isn’t a barrier for parents who want to get back to work, we can build an economic recovery that works for everyone – not just those at the top.”
The BC NDP did not specify how many spaces they would add if re-elected. They said that since 2018, over 32,000 child care spaces have been offered at less than $10 a day.
The NDP also said the BC Liberals voted against the government’s 2018 budget that included a $350 a month fee reduction for families.
In a campaign stop in Maple Ridge on Thursday morning, Horgan accused the BC Green Party of failing to support $10 a day child care in 2017.
In a statement, the BC Liberals bluntly rejected that assessment, saying “[John Horgan] is the one who has failed to deliver on child care with an 85% failure rate.”
On Twitter, the BC Green Party accused Horgan of trying to “mislead voters” and shared a screenshot of two tweets from former Minister of State for Child Care Katrina Chen that praise work done between her and Green Leader Sonia Furstenau.
“Sonia Furstenau has been a tireless champion for child care, and will never stop fighting for BC families,” the Green Party added.
