Michelle Mungall delivered some welcome news to Nelson daycare centres this week.
“I could see jaws dropping and tears flowing as I told them about the funding,” said Mungall, who personally announced the financial break that parents have been waiting years for.
Beginning April 1, funding will be provided to licensed care providers to provide a $350 a month cut in the cost of a child care space.
“For these people this money is so important for them. It’s been such an uphill battle,” said Mungall, who said the scene at the day cares she visited was emotional.
“There were a lot of tears. They worked so hard for this,” said Mungall, who pointed out that many parents have been forced to put their names on daycare waiting lists two years in advance.
Many of the women were part of an action plan group called the Stroller Brigade who have been pushed for more affordable child care for several years.
“This was a government priority and we made it happen,” said Mungall, adding she is proud of the budget introduced by Finance Minister Carole James because “it’s balanced.”
“Also, the economy is doing well so we’re taking taxpayers dollars to help people.” she said.
The other major budget item that helps Nelson is affordable housing as more than $6 billion has been earmarked over the next 10 years to create 114,000 housing units for families, seniors, students and women and children escaping domestic violence.
Mungall said she met with Nelson Mayor Deb Kozak earlier Wednesday on her way into a Union of British Columbia Municipalities meeting to discuss social housing.
“Deb told me that most of the concerns for Nelson were addressed in the budget,” said Mungall.
Mungall said the province has agreed to match a $14 million grant from the Columbia Basin Trust for new affordable rental housing as part of a partnership with the CBT.
The second project, Housing Hub, will allow the province to work with funding partners to provide loans to build low income housing in the region.
‘These funds will help get these projects off the ground and provide access to more social housing,” said Mungall.
For more on the 2018-19 B.C. Budget see page 8.