Vancouver child-care centre unhappy it doesn't qualify for new government subsidies
Buddings Daycare offers last-minute places and its licence puts it in the same category as an IKEA ballroom
A Vancouver daycare wants the provincial government to change the rules on occasional child care so its clients can qualify for subsidies announced earlier this year.
Buddings Daycare describes itself as a "flexible, occasional daycare" that "always has space." Child-care spots can be booked online with only one hour's notice, providing a valuable service for parents who work on call or who have irregular schedules.
But because Buddings is only licensed as an "occasional daycare" — placing it in the same category as an IKEA ballroom — the business has been deemed ineligible.
"We tried to apply for the fee subsidies so that our families could be reimbursed for their child-care fees, but we were told that our license doesn't qualify," said owner Talia Erickson.
The province says it appreciated the unique service offered by flexible child-care providers and says it will convene a round table discussion as it continues to develop affordable child-care initiatives.
Buddings parents like Rebekah Hammond hope that won't take too long.
"It would really help out if the costs were subsidized a bit, and we were helped out just to encourage mothers, or parents, to go back to work. Otherwise the financial balance is a hard decision to make," she said.
Under the new child-care initiative, families may be eligible for a monthly subsidy of as much of $350 if their child attends a daycare that has opted into the new program.
With files from Zahra Premji