What’s the Issue?

In 2018 Kiwassa was fortunate to be selected as one of the first $10aDay sites in BC and the reduction in fees that it brought was life changing for parents in the Hastings-Sunrise community. Fees came down from over $1,200 per month to $200 or less for parents who qualified for subsidies.

Over the last few years, the Province has begun to role out a new funding model for childcare called the Operating Funding Model (OFM). Kiwassa has crunched the numbers and identified that this new approach to funding childcare will lower the quality of care that we can provide to families like yours in our community.

What’s the Impact?

What does this mean for you? If Kiwassa moved to the OFM model:

  • Our staff would be paid less, leading to fewer quality educators staying at Kiwassa or in childcare in general.
  • Our staff would receive less professional development support that allows them to provide quality care to your child.
  • We would be funded for less staff which would decrease the individual support and care that we can provide, and increase the stress on staff as they have to manage larger groups for longer periods.

Most importantly, if Kiwassa chose to maintain its current focus on quality, inclusive care it would lose over $500,000 per year. This is not sustainable and Kiwassa could be forced to pull out of $10aDay meaning a return to parent fees over $1,400 per month (per child). We know that many families cannot afford these rates and would have to pull their child from care, negatively impacting the well being and quality of the whole family.

For more information, please read the attached OFM presentation shared with parents on October 2, 2025:

OFM Parent Presentation – October 2, 2025 [Download]

What can you do to help?

With our contracts due for renewal in the Spring of 2026, there is a chance that Kiwassa may be asked to move to the OFM funding model. We are asking for your help to be proactive and help share the impacts of what this would mean for families like yours.

Taking even just one of the following actions can make a difference. After a recent information session with parents, dozens of parents called their MLA and we received a call back the very next morning. Your voice matters and can be heard!

Call your MLA
Phone: (604) 775-2277

Phone Script for calling your MLA [Download]

Email your MLA and the Premier
niki.sharma.mla@leg.bc.ca
David.Eby.MLA@leg.bc.ca

Letter Templates
We have drafted letter templates that you can send by email or regular mail to your MLA and to the Premier. Please feel free to adapt these letters to match your experiences and stories and why it is important to you that we have quality and affordable childcare in BC. Please contact us if you would like help with drafting this letter or sending it to your MLA.

OFM Letter Templates [Download]

Visit your MLA
Office Address: 2135 East Hastings St., Vancouver, BC V5L 1V2
This location is accessible by transit by taking the #14, #16 buses

Friday’s are often when MLAs are available to meet with their constituents. We recommend that you reach out to her office to setup an appointment when meeting in person.

Thank you!

We greatly appreciate your help and support in ensuring that Hastings-Sunrise can offer quality childcare. If you have a question, or would like to get more involved and volunteer to help raise awareness of this issue, please contact Daya Herr, Director of Childcare, at dir.childcare@kiwassa.ca