COPE on families: 2,200 new public child care spaces by 2030 and an affordability audit
COPE would secure at least 2,200 new public child care spaces by 2030, add drop-in child care at community centres and schools, and speed up before-and-after school care. An Affordability Audit for Families would look for ways to lower everyday costs.
FIGHT FOR VANCOUVER · PAGE 19
Keep Families in Vancouver: what the Fight for Vancouver says
COPE's platform says Vancouver has the lowest share of family households in Metro Vancouver and that city staff counted a shortfall of child care spaces for children up to age 5 in 2024. This chapter is the party's plan to keep families in the city. It starts with an Affordability Audit for Families to find where costs hurt most, and a strategy to use public power where the market fails, such as affordable tutoring and sports.
Child care is the centre of the chapter. COPE would secure at least 2,200 new public child care spaces by 2030 by bargaining with developers, providing public land and seeking money from senior governments. It would open drop-in child care at community centres and schools, speed up before-and-after school care at elementary schools, and track all child care spaces, private and public, against the city's targets.
COPE would also use city land for children's programs in theatre, science, sports and music, and make sure new housing includes homes large and cheap enough for families. Council can provide land and use zoning and development deals to create child care space. Licensing and operating money for child care come from the Province, and schools and community centres belong to the School Board and the Park Board.
THE PARTY'S NUMBERS
Figures in this chapter
New public child care spaces COPE would secure by 2030
The party's figure, page 19Shortfall of child care spaces for ages 0 to 5 that the platform says city staff noted in 2024 (the platform marks this figure as approximate)
The party's figure, page 197 COMMITMENTS
What the party says it would do
An Affordability Audit for Families
COPE would identify the costs that hit families hardest in Vancouver and create a strategy to use public power where the market is failing, including affordable programs for children such as tutoring and sports, and to lower everyday costs.
- Who has the power
- City Council Council can direct staff to carry out the audit and fund the programs.
At least 2,200 new public child care spaces by 2030
The party would fight for and fund more public child care. It would bargain with developers, provide public land and seek money from senior governments to secure at least 2,200 new public child care spaces by 2030.
- Who has the power
- City, with others The city creates child care space through zoning, city buildings and development deals, while licensing and operating funding are provincial.
Drop-in child care at community centres and schools
COPE would set up drop-in spaces at community centres and schools so parents can get affordable, safe and reliable child care in public buildings.
- Who has the power
- City, with others Community centres are run by the Park Board and schools by the School Board, and child care licensing is provincial.
Before-and-after school care at elementary schools
The party would speed up the creation of before-and-after school child care spaces at elementary schools across the city.
- Who has the power
- City, with others Schools belong to the School Board, and child care licensing and operating money come from the Province.
Track and report on child care spaces
COPE would track and report on child care spaces, both private and public, to make sure the city meets its targets.
- Who has the power
- City Council Council can direct city staff to collect and publish this data.
City-owned space for children's programs
The party would use city-owned land for city-owned spaces for children's programs, including theatre, STEM (science, technology, engineering and math), sports and recreation, education and music.
- Who has the power
- City Council Council decides how city-owned land is used.
Prioritize housing for families
COPE would make sure that public housing, and deals with private developers, secure homes large enough and affordable enough for families.
- Who has the power
- City Council Council sets zoning and negotiates the terms of rezonings with developers.
WHO WOULD HAVE TO ACT
Where the power sits for this chapter
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Questions about keep families in vancouver
How many child care spaces would COPE create in Vancouver?
COPE says it would secure at least 2,200 new public child care spaces by 2030 by bargaining with developers, providing public land and seeking money from senior governments (platform, page 19).
What is COPE's Affordability Audit for Families?
COPE would find the costs that hit families hardest in Vancouver and create a strategy to use public power where the market fails, including affordable tutoring and sports for children (platform, page 19).
Does COPE support drop-in child care at community centres?
Yes. COPE would set up drop-in child care at community centres and schools so parents can find affordable, safe and reliable care in public buildings (platform, page 19).
Who pays for child care in Vancouver under COPE's plan?
The city can provide land, buildings and space through development deals. COPE itself says it would seek funding from senior governments, and child care licensing and operating money come from the Province (platform, page 19).
What does COPE say about housing for families?
COPE says public housing and deals with private developers must secure homes large enough and affordable enough for families. The platform says Vancouver has the lowest share of family households in Metro Vancouver (platform, page 19).
ON THE BALLOT
The COPE candidates behind this
Sources
Every commitment on this page comes from the party's own material, marked SAYS SO ITSELF. It proves what the party says it would do. Who holds each power is our own addition, from the sources listed after it.
- Fight for Vancouver: COPE 2026 Platform (PDF) SAYS SO ITSELFCOPE · pages 19 · checked