Provincial Investments In Literacy

Sept. 22, 2009

Ministry of Children and Family Development

Since 2001, we have invested more than $1 billion in literacy and literacy-related initiatives. Due to challenging economic times we have reduced discretionary literacy grants by $2 million. However, we are continuing to invest more than $180 million in literacy initiatives this year to support preschool aged children, K-12 students and adult learners.

This funding includes:

$13.7 million to protect core funding for libraries – a 60 per cent increase over 2001.
$12.4 million – a 50 per cent increase in funding over last year – to continue expanding StrongStart BC early learning centres in every corner of the province. StrongStart BC centres had 278,000 visits by nearly 15,000 children last year.
$2.7 million for Ready, Set, Learn, a school readiness program for three-year-olds and their families.
$2.4 million for community-based adult literacy programs.
$23 million for English-as-a-Second Language instruction to support adult learners.
$500,000 to CanWest's 2009 Raise-a-Reader campaign. Since 2004, the Province has contributed nearly $3.8 million to support community-based literacy programs through the Raise-a-Reader program.
$168,000 to increase immigrant families’ literacy skills through Immigrant PALS. The program responds to the cultural and linguistic needs of immigrant families while helping their children start school set for success.
In addition to these programs, September Budget Update 2009 includes an additional $151 million to deliver optional full-day kindergarten for five-year-olds starting in September 2010 to ensure every child has the opportunity to develop strong literacy skills that will serve them throughout their lives.

The B.C. Government is committed to making British Columbia the most literate jurisdiction in North America and will continue to invest in achieving this goal.