Media Room

Minister Mary Polak

Welcome to the Minister's Media Room.
You can view photos from recent events, download ministry factsheets, read the latest newsletter, find letters to the editor, editorials, speeches, and view videos.

Quick Facts

  • In the 2007/08 budget, the provincial government committed $93 million over three years to enhance supports for children and youth with special needs and to maintain services for children at risk.
  • In B.C. there are approximately 9,000 children living in foster care with about 3,500 foster families and more than 1,000 children needing an adoptive family to help them grow.
  • Currently, there are 24 delegated Aboriginal child and family service agencies, 21 First Nations agencies and three urban Aboriginal agencies.
  • The Province significantly increased child-care subsidy rates as well as the annual income threshold from $21,000 to $38,000. This program supports more than 50,000 children from low and moderate income families each year – an annual investment of almost $150 million (up from $94 million in 2004/05).
  • The Province created 6,500 quality, licensed child-care spaces throughout the province since 2001. Today there are nearly 90,000 licensed child care spaces in British Columbia.

Did You Know...