VICTORIA, BC: MLA Reann Gasper (Abbotsford-Mission) is calling out the BC NDP for withholding a key child care accountability report until after the federal election, despite nearly $8 billion in public spending on the $10-a-Day program over the past eight years.
“This isn’t a delay; it’s a political decision to keep parents in the dark. It borders on deception,” said Gasper, the Official Opposition Critic for Child Care and Children with Support Needs. “This looks like a blatant attempt by the Eby government to provide political cover for Mark Carney.”
The 2023/24 Annual Report, required under the federal-provincial agreement, was completed and submitted to Ottawa in October 2024. While it was expected to be published before the 2025 federal election, the provincial NDP government now says it will only be released once all votes are counted.
“Parents deserve transparency. Withholding performance data to help a political ally during a crucial election isn’t just bad governance, it’s a calculated breach of public trust,” said Gasper.
The report’s delay comes amid mounting concerns about the program’s effectiveness:
Just 3,000 of 16,000 $10-a-Day spaces serve infants and toddlers, the group it was meant to prioritize.
40% of sites offer no infant-toddler care at all.
A preliminary evaluation conducted in 2020 flagged serious concerns, but key details were omitted from the final evaluation report released after the 2020 election.
Despite $1.2 billion spent on capital grants, only 7,180 infant-toddler spaces have been created across the province.
“This is a pattern: bury the evidence, delay accountability, and then hope parents won’t notice,” concluded Gasper. “British Columbians were promised a universal child care system. Instead, they’re getting an Eby election-year coverup.”
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Media contact:
Francesca Guetchev, Communications Officer
Francesca.Guetchev@leg.bc.ca
+1 (672) 922-0948
