---
title: "BC NDP promises $80 million for 7,200 new before- and after-school childcare spaces"
description: "The BC NDP says it will invest $80 million to add 7,200 before- and after-school spaces on school grounds, and a further $250 million for a broad expansion of subsidised childcare."
canonical_url: "https://voche.me/bc/provincial-2026/news/bc-ndp-school-based-childcare-spaces-7200-october-2026"
last_updated: "2026-10-18T17:40:54.619Z"
---

BC NDP leader [David Eby](/bc/provincial-2026/candidates/david-eby) announced on October 17 that a re-elected NDP government would invest $80 million to create 7,200 new before- and after-school childcare spaces on school grounds. The party says it would also commit $250 million in new provincial funding to expand universal childcare in a deal with the federal government.

The party published the announcement on October 17, 2026, the same day as advance voting closed. The Indo-Canadian Voice carried the full text.

**School spaces**

The BC NDP says the $80 million would cover startup costs, renovations, and ongoing operating costs for the 7,200 spaces. Eby is quoted in the party's announcement: "Delivering more spaces in schools will make drop-offs and pick-ups easier, give kids a familiar place to be, and make better use of public facilities."

All 7,200 spaces would be located on existing school grounds, the party says. No construction timeline or district-by-district breakdown appears in the announcement.

**Universal childcare expansion**

The party says the $250 million would go toward three things: a provincial wage grid for early childhood educators, more affordable spaces, and a hard universal fee cap modelled on Ontario's system. The party says this funding is intended to be matched by the federal government, and that a December 1 deadline exists under the Canada-BC Prosperity Agreement for the two governments to renegotiate their childcare funding deal.

**What the party says it has already done**

The BC NDP's announcement lists three figures from its time in government. The party says it created 64,000 childcare spaces, a figure it describes as a 50 per cent increase. It says fees fell from an average of $47 per day to $19 per day. It says early childhood educator wages were raised to nearly $30 per hour. These are the party's own numbers, and they have not been independently audited.

Karen Ranalletta, President of CUPE BC, is quoted in the party's announcement in support of the school-based spaces plan. The party's announcement carries no response from BC Conservative Leader Lorne Doerkson to the new spending figures.

**What a voter can do**

Voting day for the BC provincial election is October 24, 2026. Advance voting ran October 16 to 21. You can compare party platforms, including the BC NDP's childcare commitments, at [/bc/provincial-2026/parties/bc-ndp](/bc/provincial-2026/parties/bc-ndp).

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