In December, 2023, the B.C. government started a pilot program funding a wage grid for ECE staff at 53 childcare programs.

Grace Lore, the Minister in charge of child care, quoted in a recent Tyee article, said that the pilot program has been designed to test the system in order to “get it right. We want to make sure we have the right wage grid and the right funding models for all providers. Wages and compensation are a huge part of that. So is funding providers to sufficient levels to support other levels of care.”

Organizations providing ECE spaces continue to struggle to meet hiring and retention needs of qualified staff, based on high level of demand for services. This latest initiative builds on steps taken previous to establish realistic pay levels for ECE staff and to promote staff retention. Since 2018, there have been three pay increases for eligible child-care workers, adding up to a total increase of $6 per hour. The next scheduled increase, effective at the start of January, 2024, brings the median pay to $28 an hour.

Early Childhood Educators of BC (ECEBC) produced a report in 2023, Evaluation of Early Care and Learning Recruitment and Retention Strategy, that noted:

This sector continues to benefit from year over year research with rich data to quantify the challenges and opportunities in the ECL labour market. The findings in this report reveal that low wages and a lack of benefits remain the main reasons qualified professionals are leaving this career. Further wage enhancements through a provincial wage grid would be welcomed, as would ensuring access to pensions and other meaningful benefits. While the ECL R&R Strategy has had a meaningful impact on wages, rates of burnout continue to rise since 2019. Access to benefits is low and improvements here is a key way to enhance retention in the sector. With most British Columbians viewing early childhood education as an essential service, renewed effort is needed to ensure regional disparities are addressed and a provincial system of child care is built.

In May, 2023, the BC government provided new funding to enable creation of more that 400 student spaces in each of the next three years for people to take ECE programs to assist in providing more qualified staff to address anticipated job openings for certified ECEs and ECE assistants in the province over the coming decade. 18 out of 25 public post-secondary institutions in B.C. are currently recognized to deliver ECE education programs approved by B.C.’s ECE Registry.

Since 2018, the provincial government has created 1, 713 new, additional spaces in approved ECE programs at 16 B.C. public post-secondary institutions throughout the province. Students enrolled in approved ECE programs can apply for bursaries through the Province’s ECE Education Support Fund administered through ECEBC. Metis ECE students can also receive assistance with the cost of post-secondary education through Metis Nation BC. Since 2018, more than $24 million in bursary funding has been awarded to more than 6,500 ECE students and public post-secondary enrolment in ECE programs has grown by 40% compared to 2017-18.

In August, 2023, the provincial government also announced support for translation services to assist francophone Canadians and ECE professionals educated in languages other than English to translate their educational documents into English. B.C.’s ECE Registry certifies ECEs prior to their work in child care programs, crucial to ensuring the safety of children and the quality of care they receive. The registry receives hundreds of applications for ECE certification annually from people who have completed their education outside of Canada and from francophone Canadians. Emily Gawlick, executive director at ECEBC, commented, “Supporting applicants with the translation process will help to ensure those applying for the ECE certification are meeting B.C. standards.”

The Early Childhood Education Report website at https://ecereport.ca/en/profiles-pt/cwelcc-tracker/british-columbia/ provides a tracker, province by province, on updates relating to governance, funding, access, learning environment, and accountability.