The Waitlisted Project is a collection of testimonials from parents across British Columbia struggling to access affordable, quality child care.
Last names have been withheld to protect parents and children. Some parents withheld their first names too because they were so concerned that if they spoke up they may lose their chances at finding or keeping child care.
Name Withheld, Kelowna, March 2020
“I put my daughter on at least 10 wait lists for daycare in the lower mainland and never heard from a single one. Not one. I have always had the same contact information. I find it so hard to believe that not one single spot opened up for her in the five years we were on waitlists. In 2018 we relocated to Kelowna and as soon as we moved here I put my daughter on wait lists for all of the before/after school care programs that pick up for her school. It’s been 6 months and I have received no calls after following up with all of them several times. I was 4 months pregnant when we moved here and I also put my son on about 9 or 10 wait lists at that time. He will be turning 1 at the end of this month and my maternity leave is coming to an end. None of the child care centres have a space for us. In the past few months, I have spent my time calling every daycare and dayhome within a reasonable driving distance to try and find care and have received nothing but “sorry, we’re full”. I don’t know what I am going to do. I need to go back to work. My kids need care. I don’t understand how this can happen. This is consuming every waking moment for me – thinking of what my husband and I are going to do. It just feels so hopeless.”
Amanda, Penticton, 2019
“I am a youth support worker for children with disabilities here in Penticton. I’ve been trying to find a licensed daycare for my son since he was 6 months old. And have been told everywhere that the waitlists are at least a year. We finally got a spot for him at an unlicensed dayhome, but he was bitten on four occasions over 3 months by the pets and other children. Not to mention it was $900 a month, which is over half my income. It is just horrible. My son is one of the most mild tempered, kind-hearted caring kids he just loves everybody, but even after taking him out of that situation he still says “no bite” to other children he meets. I work so hard for my community to ensure that other people’s children with disabilities have good lives and hygiene and stay active but I can’t find anyone to care for my own son. My mother-in-law watches my son now, but she is retired and shouldn’t have to watch a 19 month old baby 5 days a week. We are so lucky we have her because if I couldn’t work our family couldn’t survive.”
Monica, Penticton, 2019
“I am a mother of twins and I work in physio. We got on waitlists when I found out I was having twins early in my pregnancy because I knew it would be hard to get in. They are 2 now. We got a call finally after the girls were 1.5 years old, but we had already committed to an Au Pair because we had no other option. Nobody else has called and I’ve checked a lot. I’m hoping to get the girls in once they are 3 but I’m not hopeful I can get them in together and I’m not willing to split them. I like working part time and don’t want to pay for full time care… it’s best for our family but impossible to find for our twins.”
Jennifer, New Westminster, 2019
“We are waitlisted for after school care in New Westminster… number 78. The program only takes 10 new kids a year. It’s only a K to 5 school, so by the time he gets a spot he won’t even be in the school anymore. Our child care problems make it very difficult to plan for the future. We are on so many waitlists, it’s a logistical nightmare trying to keep track of where we are on every different list. It makes our life very unpredictable and stressful.”
Kalia, Kelowna, 2019
“My husband and I have full time jobs and I work at UBCO. I started getting on waitlists for child care in my neighbourhood and close to work when I was 3 months pregnant. Now my daughter is 3 months old and I will be back to work next year in May. That means I will be on these lists 18 months in advance. I’ve followed up with all the waitlists, only to be told by all of them that they doubt they’ll have a spot for her next May. I branched out and was added to over 20 waitlists across the city and still everyone is saying there’s little chance she will get in. I even had a few people laugh at me when I called. Others don’t even bother returning my messages. There is a daycare on campus where I work, and I’m on the list for but they don’t give UBCO workers preference. I am still hopeful something will open up, but I’m stressed and feeling discouraged! I have spent so much time calling around just trying to get childcare. There is just not enough infant care anywhere!”
Cindy, White Rock, 2019
“I live in White Rock and this summer is the first time I had to register my school age kids for summer camps. I didn’t know how difficult and how expensive it can get, and I have to drive 40 minutes to an hour every day to the nearest available summer school programs. In addition, the hours for summer camp runs 9am-3pm best case, so how can parents make this work without a flexible work schedule? It has been hard to get before and after school care too, because they are all full. I felt forced to leave my municipal government job because they refused to accommodate my schedule around childcare. I work for a private company now that allows me to work from home, but I am still stressed out about coordinating childcare”
Jo, Vancouver – Grandview Woodlands, 2019
“My husband and I are both working professionals. I’m a high school teacher and my husband works in TV production. We have a 5-year-old daughter who will be starting kindergarten this September. We are completely stuck for before and after school care. I am happy to pay for care, but there simply isn’t any available. This is the same situation we have experienced throughout our childcare journey. There are very few group care facilities, only 3 or 4 in our entire extended neighbourhood. We have been on every waitlist since our daughter was around 6 months old, and have never received a call back from any of them. Our daughter ended up in private home daycares, most of which I had reservations about. The waitlist system is completely flawed. We were told so many different excuses why we weren’t getting a spot: we didn’t answer the phone on the right day, they didn’t have our information on file anymore, siblings get preference over only children, which means we may well be bumped indefinitely. We are 4 weeks away from our daughter starting school and currently have no arrangement for before and after school care. The school told me ‘we can’t give any advice or recommendations in case it doesn’t work out and it comes back on us’. The school’s PAC told me ‘we know, it’s a nightmare, but you’re on your own’. Currently, our only option is for one of us to quit working, which means not being able to cover the bills. I’m so incredibly disheartened and frustrated, and currently have no idea what we’re going to do come September.”
Stephanie, Port Coquitlam, 2019
“I am a fully certified early childhood educator with Special Needs and Infant Toddler certification and I keep everything up to date. I am currently a Licence Not Required and have a waitlist of 5 people. I started in the field August 2008, fresh out of college and got a job in a registered daycare. I became pregnant in December, worked right until my due date, had my year off and went back to work. I got pregnant again after returning to work, worked until the week of my due date and came back again after my second maternity leave. That’s when things got too expensive. The cost of having my own two children in childcare, with very little discount just didn’t make sense. Long hours for my children and myself with little to no sick days. So I quit. Now I work from home, I save the money I would have spent on childcare, I’m not exhausted and I’m available for my family. I still don’t make a lot (nowhere near minimum wage) but I am with my family and supporting my local families. There needs to be more affordable spaces for those who work as early childhood educators. My heart is 100% there unfortunately the money is not.”
Melanie, South Surrey, 2019
“I am mother to a 5 and 8 year old, and my biggest problem isn’t only finding affordable before and after school childcare but the huge lack of before and after school options. I have been on a wait list for 2 years for my kindergarten child and we still don’t have a spot. I work as a secretary in schools so I am off for the summer, but I’m worried about this coming September. How can I go back to work? I have a supportive husband but it’s expensive in Surrey, and we can’t afford to go without my income. More than half of my income went to childcare last year. I am very frustrated and I seriously don’t know what I will do.”
Kathleen, Abbotsford, 2019
“My little one has been on countless waitlists since she was two months old. I am an educational assistant and I will be going back to work at the end of next month. I have no childcare options as of now. This is terrifying as a parent! BC needs more childcare programs. If I can’t return to work, we might not be able to afford our mortgage, or other things to support our livelihood.”
Amanda, Kamloops, 2019
“We are waitlisted to every local daycare for afterschool care. I had to turn down free schooling because I couldn’t find any after school care, let alone affordable. I have been at home for 8 full years as of this summer. My children are both in school full time as of September but I still can’t get a regular job because I don’t have any way for them to be watched after school! It’s been a devastating summer for us. I had no idea the crisis was so bad until I was looking for childcare and found out my child was number 51 on the waitlist. How are we supposed to work and contribute to society when school hours are so short?”
Shelby, Kamloops, 2019
“I have no before or after school care lined up for my 6 year old. We are on wait lists but we keep getting “bumped” by siblings. Currently our aging fathers are watching our six year old before and after school but they are both getting into their 70’s and will not be able to do it much longer. The possibility of me having to quit my decent paying, Monday to Friday job and going to evening work is very real. It will be a pay cut but at this point we do not have much of a choice. Even if I came up with the money to pay for before and after school care I would not be able to find it.”
Emily, Kitsilano, 2019
“I have 3 year old twins and we still haven’t gotten a single call back from any of the daycares they are waitlisted on. When I called daycares to get added to the list, some even laughed at me as they knew with twins we’d never get a call back. I work in apparel design and development, but I can only work part time and had to leave my full time job to work around child care. It has been difficult to get part time work in an industry that expects 40-60 hour work weeks. My mom takes our girls once a week, we have a nanny once a week and if anything else comes up my partner and I wiggle our schedules around to make it work. We use a part time drop-in daycare for half a day a week but it costs us $30 an hour which is insanity. The child care system in Vancouver is not working and needs to be fixed if the city expects to grow.”
RJ, Victoria, 2019
“We recently moved to Victoria. My wife and I are both professionals keen to add to our new local community and economy. Unfortunately, we are finding it impossible to find adequate affordable before and aftercare this September for our 6 year old. We are on all waitlist and looking for a shared nanny situation with other parents. Without a familial support network to help cover the few hours of childcare, we are left stuck making a tough decision: One of us cannot pursue our career. And without that income, and with the cost of living here we know we will sink into debt. All because we can’t even get 15 hours of weekly child care. This is a loss for our family, a loss for Victoria and a loss for BC. I don’t understand how every school has a 20+ waitlist and so far I cannot find other options. The municipal and provincial governments have not just simply abandoned families, they are actively damaging their financial security.”
Cristina, Coquitlam, 2019
“I just moved here to Coquitlam with my 3.5 year old son. I am an early childhood educator myself and a single mother. I understand the importance of finding him a high-quality program and also care so that I can earn a living for both of us. Every quality pre-school program has told me that there are no spaces available for at least 2 years. I feel I have to ‘settle’ for whatever is leftover, regardless of if the program is developmentally appropriate for my son’s age. The guilt of that weighs on me and makes me feel so sad that I work to provide a good program for other people’s children, when my own child is being left behind.”
Krysten, Prince George, 2019
“I am a registered nurse specializing in chemotherapy and I have been struggling since I was 34 weeks pregnant to find affordable, safe, and clean childcare for my son who will be one in October. The one place we got accepted into wanted to interview us on two separate occasions, which we felt was ridiculously excessive. She also charged $1200 a month and it went up to $1800 a month when the child turned three. Every other childcare provider seemed to be in a dark basement with a big TV on the wall. So my mom has decided to quit her job to stay home with my son full time, just so I can go back to work. Prince George needs more subsidized childcare centres. No un-licensed care providers or unsafe centres in basements. Having my mom watch our son was a last resort option. We really wanted to have him in a centre to socialize but it just won’t work out.”
Caroline, Vancouver – Quilchena, 2019
“The amount of money that parents have to pay for day care is insane; however, if you calculate what you are paying per hour, it is actually less than minimum wage. Nobody is going to want to work for less than minimum wage and that is what you are paying someone in childcare. So even though the amount you as a parent have to pay is a lot, what the day care provider is making as an hourly rate, I wouldn’t want to work for! So how can you find quality care, if you are paying people peanuts? That is why there is such a massive shortage of day care workers and ECEs. I opted to stay home and take care of my two kids because if I paid to put both of them into care, I was essentially going to make no money at the end of the month. So it makes no sense to go to work to make zero! I was also scared of the horror stories I have heard of trying to find care, as well as the type of care people’s kids received. I didn’t want to take the risk, so I gave up my job and probably my ability to have a successful career as a result. The fact that I have to make that choice is unfair.”
Name Withheld, Osoyoos, 2019
“I have been on a waitlist at our local daycare centre since before my daughter was born. When I found out there were still 13 kids ahead of her, I panicked trying to secure other care for her. Now I have found a Registered Licence Not Required centre to take her. It isn’t exactly what we wanted, and it was not easy to find. The thing that is hard to take is that if we were in group daycare we would be eligible for $910 in subsidies, but where we are, we receive only $75 in subsidies. This seems so unfair. On top of that, the whole childcare system is scary, because some of the more affordable unregistered home daycares we checked out had too many kids under the age 2, which is a huge concern to me. One person is not able to look after 5 babies. In that situation, a child is going to get neglected… this is how babies die. However when those unsafe daycares are more affordable, and parents have a bills to pay, some are desperate enough to take whatever they can find. Even if it isn’t our ideal situation, we consider ourselves lucky to at least have safe childcare.”
Anna, Canyon, 2019
“I am a nurse and have a two year old son. My hours as a nurse are early, starting at 7 am which most daycare centres can’t accommodate as they don’t open until 8. At this point I am on multiple wait lists and can’t find a spot for my son, leaving me with one option: hire a babysitter and pay between 12-15$/hour to have someone watch my son in my home … which after tax leaves me making a little over $5 an hour. I never realized until I became a mom how difficult it is to be a working parent, and if you want to return to work you simply don’t always have a choice where your child goes. I am far from the only woman struggling with this shortage in childcare. It seems half the women I work with are having the same issue and are having to give up hours and in some cases even give up their jobs!”
Cali, Penticton, 2019
“I live in Penticton and have a 2 year old daughter. When she was 1 I had her in a fantastic day home, which unfortunately closed because the owner had to move. We found a second day home, which just closed last week. I am now left to find a spot for my daughter immediately, but when I try to find something I’m told there’s a 2 year wait list everywhere. It’s basically impossible to find child care for her, which then I have to call in sick or ask a family member to take a day off work so I can go to my job. I work in healthcare, and my job is so busy that taking a day off isn’t really an option. I have no idea what I will do. It’s really frustrating. Right now my school aged niece can help me out while school is out for the summer, but I’m not sure what will happen in the fall unless we get a spot for my daughter somewhere.”
Manda, Vernon, 2019
“In 2017 my family moved from Langley to Vernon. Prior to moving I looked for childcare for my 18 month old, but spots for her were scarce. I have been on one particular centre’s waitlist for the last two years. In two years my daughter will have been in 4 different care facilities because she keeps losing her spot, and it breaks my heart. A year after we moved, I struggled to find care for my son when he turned 1, and we only lucked out because a family moved away which gave my son a spot which allowed to me go back to work. My son is now 20 months and this week we found out the daycare is closing in two month, and I need to find a new daycare for him. I have called every centre, day home, unlicensed and licensed and they are all full, with waitlists a year or more long. Using a nanny is out of the question due to affordability. I have even looked in surrounding cities with no luck. I have no idea what I will do. I cannot afford to quit my job. There is not enough quality care for children especially under the age of 3 years anywhere. I cannot afford to quit my job yet I cannot find care. What do families do? This government needs to step up and do something.”
Adrienne, Castlegar, 2019
“I have been an Early Childhood Educator in the West Kootenays for 15 years and I love my job. The only issue is the lack of spaces for children and qualified ECEs. I am suffering from burn out from all the long shifts and no breaks. I cant take a day off whether it be that I am sick, my kids are sick, for emergencies, or for school outings or performances. The lack of respect we get is a huge struggle as well. I am not a babysitter. I have struggled with finding care for my youngest who is 2 and a half. I have turned down jobs due to lack of childcare for my own child. The list could go on and on. When a childcare worker can not find a space for their own child they can not stay in the field of Early Childhood Education. It is a vicious circle that we need to fix.”
Lindsey, Vernon, 2019
“I have two children. One is nearly four and the other is 18 months old. I struggled to find quality care with my oldest until I got her into a wonderful preschool when she was 3. Before that, she was bouncing from dayhome to dayhome. Two closed and one was really poor quality. That all happened within a year. I’m now having the same problem with my youngest. He’s been to a few different dayhomes now. I was really surprised at how unreliable they were. I was often cancelled on so I hired a nanny, which was incredibly expensive. Our nanny ended up leaving us due to a family emergency. It was at that point that I left my career. The stress and struggle of finding suitable care for my son isn’t worth it anymore. For now, I’ll do my best to work from home during his naps and on evenings and weekends. I’m fortunate that my career allows me to do that, but that unfortunately means I won’t have any time for my kids or myself during those times. Finding childcare in the Vernon area has been one of the biggest challenges of parenting. I’m really discouraged, defeated and disappointed.”
Name Withheld, Victoria, 2019
“Before and after-school care for my school aged child has been a huge struggle for me. It is extremely stressful trying to get my child to school and then get myself to work on time. I work in government, but we have never been able to secure before-school care, so this effected my last job and my current one. I’m often 7-10 minutes late in the mornings and my employers are not understanding. As for after-school care, we tried two programs that were really bad for many reasons. We have finally found one space but we have to share with someone else, so we only get three days of after-school care a week. I have no choice but to take unpaid time off to cover the other days. This has effected my career greatly. My relationship with my current supervisor is strained and she is often unhappy that I have to take time off to pick my child up. Now, I am monitored in my comings and goings. I have also lost income. I feel concerned that if I wanted to apply for a better position, my supervisor would not be supportive with a good reference. Since I work for the government, I would need a good reference. In performance reviews I am told that I do a really good job, so I know my difficulties are coming just from missing work and being late. I’m super hard pressed to afford summer childcare camps too. Last year I paid around $250-$275 each week and I’m very worried about paying these fees up front!”
Shannon, Vernon, 2019
“My daughter, spouse, and I moved to Vernon in October 2017 while I was pregnant with our second child. Given that it was a quick move, we were unable to find licensed childcare for our daughter. Through a recommendation, we found a stay at home mom. We were very happy with this arrangement as the mom was more than qualified, but is now going back to work. I am currently on maternity leave, looking forward to going back to work full time in a few weeks. We have been on several waitlists for 16 months and have not heard back. Getting desperate, we looked into many different, unlicensed childcare options but the environments were less than ideal for children. These included homes where adults smoked indoors, homes where the children did not go outside, and homes with minimal adult supervision. We also looked into a full time nanny but it was too expensive. We tried to see if myself or my spouse could stay at home, but it wasn’t financially doable. With no family in town, this really left us feeling defeated. Ultimately we have sought out an au pair for a few months while we contemplate our options. We are feeling overwhelmed and frustrated because we can’t find a local solution.”
Cat, Penticton, 2019
“I have been a fully qualified early childhood educator (ECE) in BC for 5 years. I struggled to find childcare for my own child during my first maternity leave, and now I am going through that all over again with my second child. I was working full time when I went on my first maternity leave in April 2015, but had to cut back my hours drastically to accommodate the only childcare option I could find. We tried so many options, but they were either too expensive or actually unsafe. That was extremely stressful as a new mom going back to work, afraid to lose the job I love. I worked long and hard to be where I am in my career and I don’t want to lose it. If I can’t return to work, 50 families registered in our programs and 6 staff members could be impacted. As a childcare manager, I am having to defend our programs, always hunting for staff and not opening to full capacity because we just can’t find enough staff. We have children that need extra support but we can’t provide it because we don’t have any qualified staff. And as a mom, I have to consider that I might lose my dream job because I can’t find care for my kids. “
Lara, Penticton, 2019
“I was offered a good job but I may not be able to take it because I can’t find before and after school care for the fall. A lot of employers don’t understand how hard it is to find care or just can’t accommodate a different work schedule. It’s entirely likely that I won’t be working regardless of the fact that I am a skilled worker because I can only work school hours: 9am-2pm. While lost wages are significant, my pension will suffer and I don’t have benefits. But it’s not just about money- if I’m out of the workforce for too long, I will no longer be seen as having enough recent experience.”
Corie, Penticton, 2019
“We currently have full time daycare for our 2.5 year old at a licensed facility that we love. Since we have a child enrolled, our newborn has priority at that facility. I was told recently that there’s no spot for our 2nd child because there are too many children on the “priority” list, ours just wouldn’t get in. We were told to not even bother applying at other facilities since wait lists are too long and applications are not being accepted. To make the situation worse, we have now been told our 2.5 year old will lose her spot in January since she will be turning 3 and moved to the next room but there won’t be an opening for her there. My husband and I both need to work to support our family but very soon we will have no child care. It is a very scary position to be in and I don’t know what we are going to do. We may have to quit our jobs and move closer to my family for help in the Kootenays. It makes me want to cry that I’m in this position and that so many other families are too.”
Ramona, Coquitlam, 2019
“As a mom of 3 boys and an early childhood educator professional: YES I am in love with my job, YES I will always be proud to introduce myself: “Hi my name is Ramona and I am a ECE teacher”, but there have been so many struggles too. I started my daycare about 10 years ago ago. I am not shy to say: I am awesome at what I do. But to this day I find it impossible to find the right kind of person that has proper qualifications and is willing to work for the low pay we make. On the mom side, having to constantly say NO to my kids is heartbreaking: NO mommy can’t take one day off work ever, NO mommy can’t chose to work half days, NO mommy can’t attend any of your school events, NO mommy can’t do school parent reading with you. All because of a lack of qualified staff to support or substitute for me. My situation is very sad and unfair for a hard working momma like myself in 2019!”
Michelle, Langley, 2019
“I am an early childhood educator and mom to 3 children under 12 years of age. I currently do not work because there is no licensed child care for my 2 school aged children in my area without a wait list of 1 year, and finding an infant/toddler space for my youngest has been impossible. There was not one space available within the next 2 years at any licensed centre I contacted. I have decided not to work because I cannot find quality licensed care. As an ECE I would have no trouble finding work – but I cannot find child care for my own children. So I have decided to stay home and go back to school so I can work shorter hours so in the future when my youngest gets to elementary I can work. In reality I cannot work in a field that has a huge shortage of ECES. Because I am fully licensed, I would have to work long hours and would not get any sick time at most centres because much responsibility would fall to me. As a mom, those type of work requirements just wouldn’t be good for me and my family.”
Alexandra, Castlegar, 2019
“I work for the Interior Health Authority and when I started looking for childcare in my town I was limited to 2 daycares, as they were the only ones open at 7am and even then I had to shift my start time back by 15 minutes. However now that my son will be 3 in December the daycare has informed me that he won’t have a spot on the “big kid” side so I should start looking for other options. I know I’m not alone because I was told that between June and January 2020 there are 12 kids that move up from the infant toddler side and only 5 spots as of September that open up on the big kid side. If I can’t find a different daycare for him by December I may have to cut my hours back to casual but if I went casual I’d lose my benefits, sick pay, vacation pay, and pension. As for my son, I’m dreading the impact this will have on him.”
Hanna, Tofino, 2019
“Three and a half years ago, I lost my job of 8 years because full-time childcare was not available. I was responsible for water treatment and distribution for the District of Tofino. I tried to keep that job in any possible capacity (part-time, job share, contractor, etc.) but was told my position was full-time, no exceptions. At that time there were only 2 small home daycares and everywhere was fully booked with mile long waitlists. The municipal daycare was so understaffed they were only open on Wednesdays but I put my daughter on their waitlist when she was just a few days old anyways. When I couldn’t return to work I started to take in children whose parents were in the same boat as me, but my apartment is so tiny that it could not work and I wasn’t earning enough money. I took some online courses during my daughter’s nap time, trying to find flexible work from home. It got to the point where I reached what the bank deems “financial hardship” and was given my pension money early, so that’s what I’ve been living off of. That money has nearly run out now. My daughter starts kindergarten this September so I’ll be fine for work then. But my position with the District of Tofino has long ago been filled. I have been taking odd jobs that I can do from home. I’m praying there will be space in the after school program so I can work more than kindergarten hours of 8:40-2:30. Unless I move somewhere else, or my old job becomes available again, my previous professional career is over.”
Aimee, Coquitlam, 2019
“Finding care for my son in 2013 was difficult, so in 2016 when I found out I was expecting my daughter I knew to start looking for care immediately. I reached out to all the local daycares in my area when I was less than 3 months pregnant. I followed up, stressed, maintained contact, emailed, called, for the next 18 months hoping I would find her a spot. As my maternity leave was ending, it became a reality that we could not secure a spot in time. My husband made the difficult decision to take an unpaid leave from his teaching job so I could return to work. One income, two kids, Vancouver mortgage. We lucked out when a centre called to check on my sons waitlist status from 2013 and I managed to put my daughter in his place on the waitlist. After being on this waitlist for SIX years, my 18 month old finally had a spot. We live in Coquitlam, in a well-known daycare ‘dead zone’. Our city council believes this is a provincial problem and has not made significant moves to help residents. I thank my lucky stars every day that I drop my daughter off at an excellent centre and know that I am one of the lucky ones; I shouldn’t be one of the lucky ones, everyone should have access to quality, affordable daycare.”
AJ, Penticton, 2019
“I started putting my new baby on wait lists from early in my pregnancy. The ideal choice was at the centre my son was already attending, but I was told there was little to no chance of getting a spot for the new baby when the time comes. The cost to keep my 2 year old son in the daycare to at least ensure care for him on my return to work is unaffordable so we had to pull him out recently when I started maternity leave. Many places I called have closed their wait lists, and those taking names didn’t seem overly promising. Not having confirmed daycare set up ahead of time is stressful and knowing the struggle and lack of spaces available leaves me concerned that we may not find the care we need when I return to work in 12 months.”
Carly, Penticton, 2019
“I’m a single mom. My son attended the same daycare from when he was 1 year old until he went in to kindergarten, and then he attended their after school program once he started kindergarten. But after a few months the centre sent out notices telling parents that the after school program would be cancelled in two months. I only had a couple of months to find after school care so I could continue to work. I found him an after school spot at a different school, and paid a deposit, but they didn’t offer care at my son’s current school. So I had to request a school transfer with the school board which ended up being declined. I lost my deposit and had to withdraw him from that program. I then had to rely on sitters who proved to be unreliable. I ended up running out of time once spring break came and went and was forced to cut my full time work hours down to part time. I was making enough to pay my mortgage and that was about it. I had to ask family for financial support. I am now back working full time but it took close to a year to secure reliable child care for my son.”
Chantelle, Kelowna, 2019
“My little family moved to Kelowna in August 2018. We put our child on every possible childcare waitlist but due to lack of availability my mother had to drive over 1 hour each morning to come watch our son so we could work. My mother has health issues so we found a stay-at-home-mom to watch our son. This dayhome turned out to be an unsafe situation. The only other option was to have my mother start watching our child again. She is moving 2 hours away, so our only options are to have my mother live with us during the week or quit the jobs we love and move cities.”
Meranda, Vernon, 2019
“I am on every licensed and registered daycare where I live in Vernon. One since 2016 and others more recently since 2018. I have been on one waitlist twice, for the most popular and affordable daycare in town. The first time they lost my name after I registered both my children while I was pregnant with my now 2 year old son. My husband works full time and that is our main source of income. My work could no longer wait for me to return so I lost my position that I had been in for 7 years. I am only able to work two days a week now, so I lost my medical, dental and prescription coverage. I am so tired of dealing with all the back and forth. This experience has been so draining and frustrating.”
Kelly, Penticton, 2019
“My partner and I moved to Penticton in 2015 from Ontario, both with well paying careers in health care and the wine industry. The moment I learned I was pregnant and had a due date, I immediately went through all the licensed, centre based care options that take children under 18 months. There were five that I qualified for. All of these centres said the same thing: even getting on the wait list 20 months in advance doesn’t guarantee a spot. The quotes I was given range from $675 to $1100 a month with subsidy. We are by no means low income, but if we have to spend $1100 a month I’m afraid I will need to seek other options. That is nearly our mortgage payment. We have no family here so we need consistent and reliable care. We have no one to call on if the in-home provider is sick and we find out that day that our child has no where to go. We would have to take a vacation day or a day without pay. I shouldn’t have to resort to unlicensed care and drop my child off with a stranger that has no governing body regulating them because I can’t find a proper spot for him. It is unfair to be put into that position by a government unwilling to look beyond the election cycle and commit to long term funding. We are seriously considering moving back to Ontario where we will have more affordable options, support from family and full day junior kindergarten which is one less year of child care to worry about.”
Ashley, Penticton, 2019
“I live in Penticton and have had my daughter on a waitlist at 4 different licensed daycares for just about 3 years. My daughter is turning 3 this year and I haven’t been able to go back to full time work since I finished my maternity leave. I have even paid a $100 deposit to get on a wait list and still haven’t heard from any of them. One of the daycares called me last year and offered me a part-time spot but both the days they had available were days that I didn’t work and still wouldn’t have care for the days I actually worked. So I turned it down, which I believe dropped me to the bottom of the waitlist that I had been on for almost 3 years. There is nothing more frustrating than not being able to go back to work because I have no childcare. I currently have her at an unlicensed dayhome, but they’re only available 2 days a week and I can’t get subsidy because it’s not a licensed daycare. I’m going to school while working, my schooling ends next month but I can’t even go to work full-time once I’m done because I have no full time daycare. We’re struggling to make ends meet on one full salary and my two partial days a week. More than half of my income goes to daycare.”
Chantelle, Okanagan Falls, 2019
“I live and work in a small town. My children are on the waitlist for the only licensed daycare in my community. I have 2 year old twins and a 4 year old. But my maternity leave ended over a year ago, we still don’t have childcare for the kids. My husband and I moved here from South Africa for a better future for our family, so we don’t have any family support here. I don’t want to seem ungrateful for this time with my children, I love them and I love spending time with them, but I want to return to work. I’m also unsure of what work I would return to when I eventually find childcare since my position got filled in the meantime, because my employer couldn’t hold my job for me any more. My salary used to be a 3rd of our household income. I have now started a job on Sundays, to help cover bills and expenses. This was the only day we had together as a family, since my husband works the other six days a week. As parents we should all have a choice, whether that means returning to work to financially support our families or to stay at home with our littles”.
Chelsea, Penticton, 2019
“I knew about the childcare shortage across BC, but I didn’t realize how bad it was. I knew I needed to go on waitlists before our baby was born, but expected that there would be openings for 2020, but there are zero in Penticton. I started reaching out to daycares when I was 4 months pregnant, and was either declined due to no spaces and overwhelming wait lists or put on long wait lists. Fingers crossed that we put our name down early enough for something to come up in time for my return to work. I work as a nurse in another city which makes it even more difficult, unfortunately. Prenatal care shouldn’t include having to search for child care.”
Jessie, Penticton, 2019
“I was super organized, and had my baby on 4 waitlists from the 1st month of birth. I checked in regularly to see where she was on the list, but it was reaching the end of my maternity leave and we still had nothing. I contacted the child care resource referral, and was given a list of 14 local daycare providers. I called them one by one. And each time was told that there were no spaces. Many would not put me on their waitlist, because they said there were already too many to keep track of. I felt very panicked and worried about how I was going to return to work. I though about what I could have done differently. The answer is nothing. I did absolutely everything right, but there still was nothing available for my daughter. We eventually found a space with 2 weeks to spare before I went back to work. But we went through so much unnecessary stress. I wish our experience could have been better.”
Fahn, Vernon, 2019
“I have been on a waitlist for the largest childcare provider in my city since October 2015. I have checked in with them several times, and each time I am told I am next on the list – but they have two lists. One list for people who have siblings already in the program and another list of new applicants. I don’t understand how we have not received a spot after being on the waitlist for almost 4 years. In fact I know several people who have gotten in and whose name was added to the list after mine. I have had my name on several other waitlists as well. As a result of needing full time care I have had to hire AuPairs from different countries. My childcare costs are approximately $2000 per month. It’s pains me when I hear of full-time childcare at the daycare we are waiting for only costing $400/month for two children. This is a topic I am very passionate about and can feel my blood pressure rising just having the conversation.”
Krystal, Vernon, 2019
“My husband, two children and I are moving to Vernon from the lower mainland because I was transferred with my job. I start work once my maternity leave is over in 4 months. I have tried to not put all my eggs in one basket but there is only one place in town accepting infants my son’s age. We have been on wait lists for infant and after school care since September 2018 for them to start attending in September 2019. I have asked how far we are down on the waitlist with no answer given. We moved here for a new start for our boys. I don’t know what we will do if I can’t start my new position that brought us to a new town without family supports.”
Danica, Vernon, 2019
My son was 18 months old when his unlicensed dayhome closed unexpectedly. Luckily we got him in to a licensed facility right away, but we are having we are having to keep him enrolled while I am off on maternity leave for 18 months just to be able to have a chance at space for August of 2020 for the new baby. We love the daycare he’s in now but there are two locations for different ages, which is a barrier for us, because drop offs would be impossible in the mornings since my husband starts work before they open and I wouldn’t have time to drive to both locations before my work. There is an affordable pilot project daycare in my town, that takes all ages in one location, and they have my waitlist deposit since June 2018, but we are not hopeful to get both kids in there especially with the current reduced rates, which has increased the applications there. And trying to get two kids into a smaller home based daycare at the same time is almost impossible. It’s very frustrating to not know if you have space for your children.
Simone, Penticton, 2019
“I am a single mom, going to school to upgrade so I can take the care aid course. I want to do the LPN program but it’s too difficult while my kids are 7 and 2 so I thought I’d do the care aid now then go back once my children are a bit older. My care aid program starts in October but I don’t know how I will find childcare after I finish school to meet the schedule I will have as a care aid. I have subsidized childcare now but its from 8am till 4:30pm which is not going to work for my future career. My 71yr old mum helps out with my 7 year old after school if needed but we have been on the wait list for after school care since April 2018. There needs to be more childcare in Penticton, especially care that works for care aids and nurses. This is a retirement community and the baby boomers are about to over run long care facilities, which are extremely understaffed and over worked. Not to mention if you do shift work as a single parent.”
Taylor, Penticton, 2019
“Recently my fiancé and I split and he moved out of town. He was the one caring for our son while I worked. I worked for minimum wage even though I was a manager. I applied for multiple different care facilities but there wasn’t any available spots open for my son’s age group. I’d have to rely on babysitters, but then after childcare expenses I was only making $2 an hour. I was missing work because my babysitter would cancel last minute. I ended up having no other choice but to apply for assistance and quit my job so that we could get by. It’s a shame because I loved my job and enjoy working.”
Alandra, Penticton, 2019
“My mom takes my son Sunday to Friday, and she chooses daily whether the drive is worth it from where she lives in OK Falls into Penticton or not, it’s a lot of gas so he usually spends the night with her. My partner works 40 or more hours a week, I work about 30 or more hours a week and we still barely make enough to cover the bills. My partner, mom, and step father will all be unavailable for June so I have to give my notice to work now. I have no choice left. We just found a place in Oliver that is a bit more affordable than our current home in Penticton but that also puts us out of range of my current job. I can’t afford to get my license or even insure a car. Usually utilities are a few weeks behind. It’s impossible to get ahead honestly.”
Kaylee, Penticton, 2019
“I’m currently due with my first child due in June 2019. I’ve been on every waitlist I can be on according to the childcare resource centre since I found out I was 6 weeks pregnant in September of 2018. Every daycare that I’ve talked to just tells me that I’m on the waitlist and they will let me know the month before I’ve asked for childcare, June 2020. I work as a CT Tech in the hospital and if I don’t get into a daycare for June of 2020 there’s a chance I’ll be forced to quit my job and go to casual status so I can work around my husband’s schedule due to lack of childcare.”
Sheena, Penticton, 2019
“My son just turned 10 months old and my first thought was, “Oh no, only two more months to find childcare.” My daughter has a spot when my maternity leave ends, but this will be her fifth child care situation and she has only been in care for 18 months of her life. I have done the math every which way, but we simply cannot afford to live, even with major cutbacks, without my salary. I have been worrying about child care since my daughter was three months old and I realized that it is not just a matter of finding somewhere we like. I would love to have my son in a quality, licensed, nurturing child care program and I am afraid that we are going to have to settle and he will end up plunked in front of a tv at someone’s house. The search for child care has sucked an immeasurable amount of joy from both of my maternity leaves. The child care system needs a serious rethink and overhaul.”
Cass, Summerland, 2019
“When my daughter was 3 months old I started putting her on daycare waitlists in Penticton and Summerland. I went back to work when she was 12 months old, but we weren’t able to get her into care until she was 15 months old. I work nights and my husband works days. I went 3 months on about 3 hours of sleep a day when I got home from work until my husband had to leave for his work. I was not the best mom I could be during those months and it was a huge strain on my marriage. The centre she did get into has some subsidies, so the amount we pay has decreased a little, but it is still hard to make the $900 payments every month. In spite of that, I love the centre my daughter is in now and it’s a good thing too because we still have not found another spot for her anywhere else.”
Amanda, Penticton, 2019
“I had my son on a wait list since 3 weeks old. Two weeks before I had to return to work, a full time spot finally opened up at the licensed daycare. Three months in he gets bumped out due to lack of staff. I was lucky that a parent was willing to share some days with me but now I’ve got one son in full time there, my youngest on part time and I’ve had to make some arrangements at work to work different days. That doesn’t always work out though. I’ve also got a friend who said she can help out every so often but it’s been very stressful and draining trying to figure things out.”
Melissa, Penticton, 2019
“At this time, I’m on maternity leave and have been lucky enough to have our older son in childcare with a good friend two times a week until she goes on her own maternity leave in September. I am concerned that when my maternity leave ends next spring, how will we afford to have both kids in childcare especially as I’m starting a new career that will take time to build up before it’s financially supportive to our household income?”
Jessica, Penticton, 2019
“I am the Mom of an 18-month-old girl. I have stayed home with my daughter since my maternity leave has ended because we can not afford full time care. I work night shifts so my husband and I can take turns watching her, but I could work some day shifts so we could spend more time as a family. I would like to put her in part-time daycare for this reason, as well as to socialize her more with other children. I have called multiple daycare facilities in Penticton, but no one will take a toddler part time. We can not afford full time care, and don’t require it. I am frustrated that I can not find the type of daycare I need for my child. Why should I pay for full time care when we don’t need it? The province of BC and the City of Penticton need to take a hard look at childcare and figure out a solution so parents can find the right kind of daycare for their child and not just what is available.”
Jenn, Penticton, 2019
“My son has autism spectrum disorder and was removed from two daycares just after he turned fine, about five months before he started kindergarten. The daycare provider didn’t have the resources to provide him with a properly qualified aide so they expelled him. My stepdaughter had just given birth and I was caring for both her and the infant at the time. It was one of the most difficult times in my life. Even now I can’t find regular care for him so I can work.”
Meghan, Penticton, 2019
“I’m a single mother of three children and my former spouse works out of town. I do not have a partner or a family support network. Everything was fairly decent until my son moved from preschool into elementary. I’ve been on every waitlist in town for after school care for over 2 years now. I’m a CPA so all the positions for my skill set are full time, plus over time. If everything goes perfect, no sick kids, I can work 9-2 on weekdays, but that does not work for my industry. So I’ve invested tens of thousands in education to barely scrape together a living as a contractor. I’ve tried hiring someone for after school care but I can’t find anyone reliable for what I can afford. My situation has pretty much ruined my professional reputation because I’m always late or leaving early or missing work because I can’t find adequate child care.”
Erin, Summerland, 2019
“We are first time parents. I work in the Penticton Hospital in medical imaging and I have to go back to work at the end of August and my daughter turns one September 7th. I have been on waitlists since I found out I was pregnant in December of 2017. I’m still having zero luck getting in anywhere. I’ve been calling day homes and daycares in Summerland and Penticton, even trying maybe a nanny even though we cannot afford them. I’ve been phoning almost every day for the past two weeks just to see if anything’s changed. We are also looking for anyone who can start as early as 6:30am. Being in the hospital shifts typically start at 7am. The other problem is that I don’t feel like I’m going to have an option to choose. I’m at a point where I might just have to take what I can get and hope that that person’s trustworthy. This has been more stressful than actually having a baby.”
Amanda, Penticton, 2019
“A year ago when we chose my son’s daycare, we put a lot of thought into where we wanted him to go. Now we have a new baby girl, but we were told that due to staff shortages and a very long wait list there will be no spot there for her when my maternity leave benefits expire. Now I have to decide if my children go to separate child care facilities, or if they go into un-subsidized centres that my family can barely afford so that they can go to the same centre together, just because the waitlists are shorter, or if I remove my older child from current care to stay at home and I forego earning an income to support my family. None of these choices are fair to me or my family.”
Stephanie, Penticton, 2019
“I am a mom to twin girls. Having 2 children means I require double the childcare spots of other moms looking for care and require infant spots (the hardest and most expensive to get). I’ve called all around my city and have managed to make it onto one waitlist and am being quoted $2200 a month if by some miracle 2 spots open up at the same time. I work for a non profit organization and with my husband’s income we make slightly over the threshold to receive subsidy, so the full cost rests on our shoulders. If nothing changes, I’ll be forced to give up my job. I am a nurse. Something needs to change.”
I Care About Child Care 