At CEFA, we’ve long advocated for the benefits of early childhood education, yet we know not all families can afford full-time child care programs. However, on September 23, 2022 , the BC Government showed increased support for child care and early learning benefits by announcing a huge increase in funding subsidies for early learning schools like CEFA. It will enable us to provide much-needed early learning child care for more children and families than ever.
What is CCFRI?
The Child Care Fee Reduction Initiative (CCFRI) is sponsored by the Government of BC and provides eligible, licenced preschools and child care providers (like CEFA) with funds to assist families with the costs of licensed child care. Previously, this program offered up to $350 per child enrolled in full-time care. Now that’s been increased by up to $550, offering families up to $900 per month total savings on their tuition fees.
This makes us immensely proud as it shows that the government is listening to the needs of BC parents and helping more families afford high-quality early learning for their children, giving them a head start for Kindergarten and life!
Benefits of Early Learning
We see the benefits of early learning in children every day. The optimal learning period for children is during the first five years of their life. It’s when they make over one million neural synapses connections in their brain every second. During these critical years, children who develop a good foundation in physical, social, intellectual, and emotional skills, boost their capacity for learning and skills mastery in all areas of academia and life in their future.
An article in Forbes shared the remarkable outcomes experienced by children in early learning programs like CEFA. The article’s author cited a study of two groups of children: one group attended a quality early education program, and the other did not. The study found that 65% of the group who attended an early learning program graduated high school, compared to 45% in the control group.
The Perry Project reported similar results relating not just to those who received any early learning education, but to those who received a high-quality Early Learning education. They found that by the time participants were 40 years old, those who experienced a high quality education throughout their childhood were less likely to have a teenage pregnancy or commit crimes. They were also more likely to graduate from high school, hold a job, make more money, and own their own home and car.
Making High-Quality Early Learning Available to More BC Families
What does the recent provincial government announcement mean for BC families? It means you can have greater, more affordable access to quality early learning child care. Parents do NOT need to apply to access this BC daycare subsidy. If your child is enrolled in a participating school (including CEFA), they will automatically get the discount starting in December 2022. All CEFA students will receive this subsidy, regardless of your family income or size. It’s affordable child care for all families.
How much you’ll save on group childcare costs varies depending on your child’s age group:
- Children under 3: save up to $900 per month
- Children 3-5 (not in school): Save up to $545 per month
- Kindergarten age (before and after school care): save up to $320 per month
Learn more about subsidies in your province:
Are You a Current CEFA Family?
Currently enrolled eligible families at CEFA will be notified of the new child care fee subsidy amount for their child from their school principal. Your new subsidy amount will start appearing on your December tuition invoice.
Are You Thinking About Part or Full-Time Care Now?
If the recent subsidy increase in the Child Care Fee Reduction Initiative has made it more affordable to register your child in part- or full-time child care, we hope you’ll consider the benefits that the CEFA early learning program offers your child. Fill out our online application.