The advent of full-day kindergarten has caused some hardships for area child care centres, with numerous younger children pulled out to attend school.
The B.C. Liberal government recently announced extra provincial funding intended to combat the problem, including nine licensed group child-care providers in the Cariboo that will share a total bonus payment of $7,300.
The money is intended to ease the providers' transition to having a lower enrolment, as a result of the change, with more five-year-olds attending full-day kindergarten in September 2011.
The total of $2,626 in bonus funding for the South Cariboo includes 100 Mile House Child Care Society (OMHCCS), which will get $1,113, while the Canim Lake Indian Band will receive $1,068, and Catherine Gagnon of 108 Mile Ranch is slated for pick up $445.
However, the OMHCCS's 100 Mile Child Care Centre program supervisor Kristen Haggstrom says the funding won't go far enough to offset the troubles full-day kindergarten has caused them.
"[Parents of] kindergarten kids would typically still pay the full day's rate, so it's a huge financial impact locally for, I think, any child-care centre."
The centre's after-school program has been shut down as a result of lack of kindergarten children, she adds.
"[The bonus is] sort of a token amount. They're giving us $45 per licensed space in that age group."
She explains that with the average person paying $25/day per licensed spot, such as the centre charges, the bonus only covers about two day's revenue over a 10-month school year.
"Their [provincial] money is a little bit laughable, but we'll take whatever we can get I guess."
About six or seven children have been lost to full-day kindergarten at her centre since last year, with a few more leaving when its rates were raised, which Haggstrom adds was a "necessary measure."
The subsidy used to fully cover the full child care rate, she explains, but now it doesn't.
"The staff all took pay cuts to continue to balance the budget. Otherwise, we were having to look at closing, which is a huge impact for parents."
Child-care providers may use the bonus money to purchase items that enhance developmental opportunities for younger learners, including purchasing books, toys, arts and crafts supplies and other educational items.
They can also use the funds for minor capital improvements, such as equipment or furniture, or apply it to further professional development and training.