Vancouver Greens on child care in schools, shared school spaces and safe routes
The Green Party of Vancouver would expand licensed child care and before and after-school care on school property, open more school gyms, fields, libraries and kitchens to the community outside class hours, and work with City Council and the Park Board on safer walking and cycling routes to school.
SCHOOL BOARD · PAGES 64 TO 66
Schools at the Centre of Community: what the Platform 2026 says
The Green Party of Vancouver calls public school buildings some of the most important public assets in the city, and wants them used more before and after the school day where this does not get in the way of teaching. Its first priority is child care. The party would expand licensed child care on school property, find the schools with room for more spaces, and work with governments and licensed providers to add before-school and after-school care. It would also build child care into plans for renewed and new schools and remove unnecessary barriers for community providers who want to use suitable school rooms.
The second theme is shared space. The Greens would open more gyms, fields, libraries, kitchens and other rooms to community use outside class hours, review what stops community groups from getting access, and explore joint-use agreements, meaning formal deals to share buildings and land, with the City and the Park Board. The party says student learning, safety and school operations would come first whenever space is shared. It would also build ties with neighbourhood houses, arts groups, recreation providers, post-secondary schools and employers, and invite City Council to meet with the school board on common issues.
Safe routes to school depend on the city. The Greens would work with City Council and the Park Board on better walking, rolling and cycling routes to schools, ask for street changes that slow traffic near schools, and improve bike and mobility-device parking on school sites. Council owns and designs the streets, sidewalks and crossings, so the board can only ask for those changes. Child care licensing and operating money come from the Province, while the board decides how its own buildings are used.
22 COMMITMENTS
What the party says it would do
Expand licensed child care on school property
The Greens would expand opportunities for licensed child care on school property.
- Who has the power
- School Board The board decides how its buildings and land are used, while the Province licenses child care.
- Source
- Platform 2026, page 64
Find sites for more child care
The party would identify schools and sites that can hold more child care.
- Who has the power
- School Board The board decides how its buildings and land are used.
- Source
- Platform 2026, page 64
Increase before-school and after-school care
The Greens would work with governments and licensed providers to increase before-school and after-school care.
- Who has the power
- City, with others The Province licenses child care and provides subsidies and operating funding, so the board needs other governments and providers.
- Source
- Platform 2026, page 64
Plan child care into school renewals
The party would include child care in major school-renewal and new-school plans.
- Who has the power
- School Board The board plans its own renewals and new schools.
- Source
- Platform 2026, page 64
Reduce barriers for child care providers
The Greens would reduce unnecessary barriers for community child care providers who want to use suitable school spaces.
- Who has the power
- School Board The board sets the rules for use of its own spaces.
- Source
- Platform 2026, page 64
Match child care growth with neighbourhood needs
The party would coordinate with the City, the Province and community partners so child care growth matches neighbourhood needs.
- Who has the power
- City, with others The city creates child care spaces through zoning and its own buildings, and the Province licenses and funds them, so the board can only coordinate.
- Source
- Platform 2026, page 64
Open school spaces outside class hours
The Greens would expand suitable community use of gyms, fields, libraries, kitchens and other school spaces outside class hours.
- Who has the power
- School Board The board controls access to its own buildings and fields.
- Source
- Platform 2026, page 65
Review barriers to community access
The party would review the barriers that stop community organizations from using suitable school buildings.
- Who has the power
- School Board The board sets the rules for use of its own buildings.
- Source
- Platform 2026, page 65
Partner with neighbourhood houses and nonprofits
The Greens would build stronger partnerships with neighbourhood houses, arts organizations, recreation providers and nonprofits.
- Who has the power
- School Board The board can make its own partnerships with community groups.
- Source
- Platform 2026, page 65
Explore joint-use agreements
The party would explore joint-use agreements, formal deals to share buildings and land, with the City, the Park Board and other public bodies.
- Who has the power
- City, with others A joint-use agreement needs the City, the Park Board or another public body to agree as well.
- Source
- Platform 2026, page 65
Publish which school spaces are available
The Greens would improve public information on which school buildings are available for community use.
- Who has the power
- School Board The board sets its own meeting rules, consultation and reporting, so it can do this itself.
- Source
- Platform 2026, page 65
Put students first when sharing space
The party would keep student learning, safety and school operations as the first priority when sharing buildings.
- Who has the power
- School Board The board runs Vancouver public schools and sets its own policies, so it can act on this alone.
- Source
- Platform 2026, page 65
Improve walking, rolling and cycling routes
The Greens would work with Vancouver City Council and the Park Board to improve walking, rolling and cycling connections to schools and support school travel planning.
- Who has the power
- City Council The city owns and designs its streets, sidewalks and bike routes, so the board can only work with Council.
- Source
- Platform 2026, page 65
Advocate for traffic calming near schools
The party would ask for traffic-calming measures, street changes that slow cars, around schools where warranted.
- Who has the power
- City Council The city owns and designs its streets, so the board can only ask Council to act.
- Source
- Platform 2026, page 65
Improve bike and mobility-device parking
The Greens would improve secure bicycle and mobility-device parking on school sites where feasible.
- Who has the power
- School Board Parking on school sites is the board's own decision.
- Source
- Platform 2026, page 65
Coordinate with the City's transportation network
The party would coordinate school-site changes with the City's transportation network to fix dangerous intersections, missing sidewalks, unsafe crossings and gaps in cycling routes that affect students.
- Who has the power
- City Council The city owns and designs its streets, sidewalks and crossings, so the board can only ask Council to fix them.
- Source
- Platform 2026, page 65
Build ties with community organizations
The Greens would build stronger relationships with neighbourhood houses, nonprofits, community centres and cultural organizations.
- Who has the power
- School Board The board can make its own partnerships with community groups.
- Source
- Platform 2026, page 66
Expand post-secondary and employer partnerships
The party would expand partnerships with post-secondary institutions and employers.
- Who has the power
- School Board The board can make its own partnerships with colleges and employers.
- Source
- Platform 2026, page 66
Work with arts and recreation groups
The Greens would work with arts and recreation organizations to give students more opportunities.
- Who has the power
- School Board The board can make its own partnerships with community groups.
- Source
- Platform 2026, page 66
Connect schools with health and social services
The party would strengthen connections between schools and community health and social services.
- Who has the power
- School Board The board can link its schools to these services, but health and social services belong to other governments.
- Source
- Platform 2026, page 66
Make it easier for community partners to help
The Greens would make it easier for suitable community partners to help with student learning and wellbeing.
- Who has the power
- School Board The board runs Vancouver public schools and sets its own policies, so it can act on this alone.
- Source
- Platform 2026, page 66
Coordinate with City Council and the Park Board
The party would coordinate more closely with elected City Council and Park Board members on issues that cross their areas of responsibility. It would invite City Council to meet with the school board on common issues.
- Who has the power
- School Board The board can invite Council to meet, but it cannot direct the City or the Park Board.
- Source
- Platform 2026, page 66
WHO WOULD HAVE TO ACT
Where the power sits for this chapter
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Questions about schools at the centre of community
Does the Green Party of Vancouver want more child care in schools?
Yes. The Green Party of Vancouver would expand licensed child care on school property, identify schools with room for more spaces, and include child care in plans for renewed and new schools. It would also work with governments and licensed providers to increase before-school and after-school care (platform, page 64).
Would the Vancouver Greens let community groups use school gyms and fields?
The Greens would expand suitable community use of gyms, fields, libraries, kitchens and other school spaces outside class hours and review the barriers that keep community groups out. They say student learning, safety and school operations would stay the first priority (platform, page 65).
What would the Green Party of Vancouver do about traffic safety near schools?
The Green Party of Vancouver would work with City Council and the Park Board to improve walking, rolling and cycling routes to schools and ask for traffic calming near schools where warranted. It would also coordinate school-site changes with the City's transportation network to fix dangerous intersections, missing sidewalks and unsafe crossings (platform, page 65).
Can the Vancouver School Board fix the streets around schools?
The City owns and designs Vancouver's streets, sidewalks and crossings, so the school board can only ask City Council to act. The Green Party of Vancouver's platform frames these items as working with the City and advocating, and keeps bike and mobility-device parking on school sites as a board task (platform, page 65).
Who licenses child care in Vancouver schools under the Green plan?
The Province licenses child care and provides subsidies and operating funding, while the board decides how its buildings and land are used. The Green Party of Vancouver says it would coordinate with the City, the Province and community partners so child care growth matches neighbourhood needs (platform, page 64).
How would the Vancouver Greens work with City Council and the Park Board on schools?
The Greens would coordinate more closely with elected City Council and Park Board members on issues that cross their responsibilities and invite City Council to meet with the school board on common issues. They would also explore joint-use agreements to share buildings and land with the City and the Park Board (platform, pages 65 and 66).
ON THE BALLOT
The Green Party of Vancouver 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.
- Platform 2026, Green Party of Vancouver (72-page PDF, last updated September 29, 2026) SAYS SO ITSELFGreen Party of Vancouver · pages 64 to 66 · published · checked