The province and the federal government have announced some supports for Early childhood educators to improve recruitment and retention of those individuals.
Katrine Conroy, B.C.’s Minister of Children and Family Development said the plan includes wage enhancements for those who work at licensed facilities that have been approved for the Child Care Fee Reduction Initiative.
The wage enhancement, now in effect, will provide an extra 2,000 dollars per year in the first year and there will be a further, one dollar an hour wage enhancement come into effect in April of 2020.
Among other initiatives, student bursary funding will be increased to 500 dollars per course, up from the current 300 dollars and 60 per cent of that will be paid to students up front.
There will also be a fund current employees working within child care programs can tap into that will provide up to 5,000 dollars per semester for upgrading.
