Parents frustrated as B.C. daycare announces new fees after receiving government subsidies
There's growing frustration among parents at a Langley, B.C., daycare after learning the facility wants to introduce new fees for existing services – just months after it began accepting additional government subsidies designed to reduce financial pressure on families.
Parents told CTV News they received an email from Pebbles & Piaget Early Learning on Thursday evening informing them certain services that were previously included in their monthly tuition would become optional beginning in February.
The email said daily meals would be subject to a new charge of $260 per month, and access to a classroom camera would cost $150 per month.
Pebbles and Piaget said the "mounting costs" of those services necessitated the new charges.
"Our goal to provide top-notch care and education to our students is our priority and we are committed to doing everything we can to ensure we never waiver from that promise," the daycare said in its email. "Thank you for your continued support, patience and understanding."
Some parents were stunned to receive the notice just weeks after they began benefiting from increases to the province's Child Care Fee Reduction Initiative, which further reduced monthly costs by as much as $550 starting Dec. 1.
"We had just made our December payment of $611, and that was huge for us – the month before we were paying $1,161," said one mother, who asked not to be named over concerns about losing child care at Pebbles & Piaget.
"Two and a half weeks later, to be slapped in the face with this is really heartbreaking."
The parent told CTV News that having her family's child-care costs subsidized helped justify her decision to return to the workforce.
"When the government reduced the monthly costs with these subsidies, I immediately felt a weight off my shoulders," she said. "I can return to a fulfilling career, and my son can thrive at a reputable daycare."
Some parents spoke out about the new fees on social media, describing the sudden charges as "double-dipping" in light of the increased government funding, which goes directly to providers.
The B.C. government confirmed it is aware of concerns regarding Pebbles & Piaget's proposed fees and is looking into them.
Under the province's agreement with providers that accept payments from the Child Care Fee Reduction Initiative, facilities are allowed to increase annual fees by a maximum of three per cent annually.
They are also allowed to charge additional fees for certain services, including meals – but only if those were not previously included in monthly tuition, or if they receive special approval from the government.
"Under the fee reduction contract, providers are prohibited from removing an existing service and then adding that same service back as optional with a fee, without approval from the ministry," Grace Lore, minister of state for child care, said in a statement.
Staff at the daycare said they could not comment on the new fees Friday afternoon. CTV News has requested more information from the facility's management, and this story will be updated if a response is received.
Parents who complained about the new fees said they have been invited to a pair of meetings at Pebbles & Piaget Monday morning, where they were promised the rationale behind the charges would be explained.
In an email statement, the province noted that direct subsidy payments to non-family child-care providers have roughly doubled this fall in order to "help them reduce the need to pass costs onto parents."
Lore said anyone concerned about their provider's implementation of fee subsidies should contact the ministry by calling 1-888-338-662 or emailing ccof@gov.bc.ca.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Fluid in eye cells can 'boil' if you watch the eclipse without protection: expert
Millions of people in parts of Eastern and Atlantic Canada will be able to see the rare solar eclipse happening on April 8. But they should only look up if they have proper eye protection, experts say.
He didn't trust police but sought their help anyway. Two days later, he was dead
Jameek Lowery was among more than 330 Black people who died after police stopped them with tactics that aren’t supposed to be deadly, like physical restraint and use of stun guns, The Associated Press found.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Being harassed at work? What to consider when deciding what to do next
If you've been the victim of workplace harassment, it can be difficult to feel you're not alone - and even more difficult to know where to go with a complaint.
Ontario urges mpox testing amid spike in cases
Ontario health officials are urging public health units to test for mpox, the viral disease formerly known as monkeypox, amid a spike of confirmed cases in the province.
Half of Canadians support TikTok ban, with U.S. concerns 'trickling' north: poll
A new poll indicates 51 per cent of Canadians support banning the social media app TikTok, after a U.S. bill aiming to do just that passed in the House of Representatives.
More unauthorized products for skin, sexual enhancement, recalled: Here are the recalls of this week
Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency recalled various items this week, including torches, beef biltong and unauthorized products related to skin care and sexual enhancement.
Where is the worst place for allergy sufferers in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
Do these exercises for core strength if you can't stomach doing planks
Planks are one of the most effective exercises for strengthening your midsection, as they target all of your major core muscles: the transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis, external obliques and internal obliques. Yet despite the popularity of various 10-minute plank challenges, planking is actually one of the most dreaded core exercises, according to many fitness experts.