Skip to main content

Skip to navigation

The access keys for this page are:

Your B.C. Government

Early Learning and Early Child Development

Your B.C. Government is providing free, innovative early learning options for children because early learning is critical to an individual’s lifetime development.

What your B.C. Government is doing for Early Learning and Early Child Development:

  • The Province is investing $43 million to establish StrongStart BC centres across B.C. Currently there are 202 StrongStart BC centres in operation across the province, offering early learning opportunities for families with children who have not yet started Kindergarten.
  • One in four children enter kindergarten not developmentally ready to start school – StrongStart BC centres are helping more children enter kindergarten ready to succeed.
  • Your B.C. Government established an Early Childhood Learning Agency (ECLA) to assess the feasibility and costs of providing full-day kindergarten for five-year olds and providing parents the choice of full day kindergarten programs for four-year olds by 2010 and three-year olds by 2012.
  • Established the $3-million Ready, Set, Learn program at more than 1,000 public schools to help parents and families prepare their three-year olds for kindergarten.
  • Created the kindergarten book program to give every kindergarten student in B.C. a book that will help them get excited about reading.
  • Since its launch in 2005, Government has provided nearly $1 million to support the B.C. Library Association’s Books For Babies – every baby born in B.C. receives a book bag with a book, CD and information on library and community services to help parents prepare their children for a lifetime of reading.
  • B.C. was the first Canadian jurisdiction to implement the province-wide Early Development Instrument, a neighbourhood-by-neighbourhood survey that assesses children's state of development upon entering kindergarten.
  • Your B.C. Government has invested $23 million in the Success by 6 program to support early learning, nutrition, and family services in more than 220 communities across B.C.
  • Your B.C. Government has provided over $13 million to support 259 family resource programs that offer family development services for families with children 0-6 years of age.
  • B.C. became the first Canadian jurisdiction to implement the Roots of Empathy program for school-aged children and the Seeds of Empathy program for preschoolers reaching more than 60,000 B.C. students.
  • Your B.C. Government has dedicated over $7 million annually to support 43 Aboriginal early childhood development initiatives.

For more information:
StrongStart BC
Early Learning
Achieve BC