Courtesy of the Province of British Columbia via flickr.

By Veronica Beltran

Child care for essential service workers

BC launches new process to support essential service parents find child care

Mar 31, 2020 | 1:26 PM

VICTORIA—The province is launching a new process when it comes to matching up parents who are essential service workers, working on the front lines of the COVID-19 response, with child care.

As of today, Tuesday, March 31 essential workers with children up to five years old can fill out a new parent form to identify their need for urgent child care.

Forms can be found by calling 1-888-338-6622 and selecting Option 4 or by going online.

Child Care Resource Referral Centres in 38 communities will act as community based hubs.

The Centres will reach out to essential-service workers in their area who filled out the form to connect them with available and licensed child care spaces.

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Child care spaces will be prioritized for children whose parents work in the public health and health services, social services, law enforcement, first responders and emergency response sectors. Additional spaces will then be given to families working in other crucial roles, defined as essential service workers.

Hours of operation will vary from facility, however, the government says they are monitoring whether or not the needs of essential service workers for care outside of regular hours are being met.

According to a release by the BC Government the Ministry of Education has been working with school districts and independent schools to identify and support children ages 5-12, whose parents are essential service workers. School districts have been asked to ensure students whose parents work in those fields have regular before—, during—and after school hours.

Courtesy of Province of British Columbia via flickr.