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[Vancouver city] council will be examining the feasibility of implementing a city-wide, child-care endowment fund. The current $6-million endowment now partially subsidizes about 144 crucial infant/toddler spots - about 30 per cent of the available spots in the city.
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But the current endowment is unsustainable, and will be drained without a cash injection, as reported by 24 hours last week. The city plans on asking the province to match the $6 million. The move would make the endowment sustainable, and also nearly double its capacity.
B.C. has about $127 million in as-yet unallocated bilateral transfers received from the federal government as part of the 2005 child-care agreement. The Conservatives have said they'll axe the deal in 2007, however.
Child care is not normally the domain of municipalities. But Vancouver increased its subsidy program after the province cut its own child-care budget by $40 million in 2002.
- reprinted from 24 Hours Vancouver