OneCity School Board plan: child care in schools and free meals for every student
OneCity's School Board candidates say they would put neighbourhood schools at the centre of a public and non-profit child care system, build a universal school meal program for every VSB student, and protect school land while keeping school grounds open to the public after hours.
BETTER SCHOOLS
Childcare for All, Universal Meals and Protected School Lands: what the Our Plans says
Beyond the two building projects, OneCity's Better Schools plan of September 29, 2026 sets out three district-wide promises. The party says it wants public schools to be the centre of a public child care system, to feed students and to keep public land public. On child care, OneCity would place neighbourhood schools at the centre of a coordinated system of public and non-profit care, starting with pilots and planning led by the Vancouver School Board. On food, it would build a universal school meal program so every VSB student can get healthy food during the school day, whatever their family's income.
The third promise is about land. The party would plan schools together with neighbourhood growth, protect school land for future generations, and keep school grounds open for responsible public use outside school hours. Elsewhere in its material, the party says it would carry out its plan without selling any public land. The School Board can run pilots, plan its sites and set rules for its grounds. Child care licensing and operating money are provincial, and how neighbourhoods grow is set by City Council through zoning, so two of these promises need other governments.
3 COMMITMENTS
What the party says it would do
Childcare for All
OneCity would place neighbourhood schools at the centre of a coordinated public and non-profit child care system, with pilots and planning led by the VSB.
- Who has the power
- City, with others Child care licensing, subsidies and operating money are provincial, so the School Board can offer space and lead pilots.
Universal, Nutritious Meals
The party would build a universal school food program so that every VSB student, whatever their financial background, can get healthy food during the school day.
- Who has the power
- School Board The School Board runs its schools and can set up a meal program, paid from a district budget that depends on provincial funding.
Protected School Lands
OneCity would plan schools together with neighbourhood growth, protect school land for future generations, and keep school grounds open for responsible public use outside school hours.
- Who has the power
- City, with others The School Board controls its land and grounds, while Council sets the zoning that decides how neighbourhoods grow.
WHO WOULD HAVE TO ACT
Where the power sits for this chapter
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Questions about childcare for all, universal meals and protected school lands
Does OneCity support free school meals in Vancouver?
Yes. OneCity's School Board candidates say they would build a universal, nutritious school food program so every VSB student, whatever their family's income, can get healthy food during the school day (OneCity Better Schools plan, September 29, 2026).
What is OneCity's plan for child care in schools?
OneCity would place neighbourhood schools at the centre of a coordinated public and non-profit child care system, starting with pilots and planning led by the Vancouver School Board. Licensing and operating money for child care come from the Province (OneCity Better Schools plan).
Would OneCity keep school playgrounds open after hours?
Yes. OneCity says it would keep school grounds available for responsible public use outside school hours, and protect school land for future generations (OneCity Better Schools plan, September 29, 2026).
Can the Vancouver School Board create child care on its own?
The School Board can offer space in schools and lead pilots, which is what OneCity proposes. Child care licensing, subsidies and operating money are set by the Province, so a full system needs provincial support (OneCity Better Schools plan).
Would OneCity sell school land?
OneCity says it would protect school land for future generations, and its Better Schools plan says it would be carried out without selling any public land (OneCity Better Schools plan, September 29, 2026).
ON THE BALLOT
The OneCity 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.
- OneCity's School Board Team Announces Better Schools: A Plan to Harness the Power of the VSB to Build More Childcare, Community Centres, and Homes SAYS SO ITSELFOneCity · published · checked