Child-care is already a major concern for residents, and considering the campus population is expected to double over the next 25 years, many will be watching to see if facilities can meet the increasing demand.
Presently, child-care on campus is operated mainly by UBC Child Care. UBC describes itself as North America’s largest university-operated child-care provider, and one of Metro Vancouver’s largest providers in general.
The UNA also manages childcare in the university neighbourhoods through third-party providers like the YMCA. In total, this amounts to about 30 licensed child-care locations across campus with roughly 800 children enrolled.
Because UBC Child Care supports the Student Affordability Task Force recommendations to address cost of living issues, almost all of their full-time spaces are eligible for $10 a day care. This means families are expected to pay no more than $200 dollars a month for full-time child-care.
While 800 places might seem like a lot, as The Campus Resident previously reported, there are still waiting lists for spaces. With campus populations set to rise in the coming decades, parents are likely wondering what UBC will be doing to meet the growing need.
UBC’s Child Care’s Expansion Plan aims to address those concerns by providing a framework to deliver on the university’s child-care policy commitments, but also provides short and long term targets to address the growing need for care on campus.
The expansion plan is being updated to remain aligned with Campus Vision 2050, and to keep up with population growth.
The short-term target in the plan, which officials are hoping to reach this year, is to cover 15 per cent of the unmet child-care need on campus. In other words, expanding care to families and caregivers who currently do not have access to adequate child care.
This would entail opening up 96 additional spaces from UBC’s existing facilities, as well as 86 spaces from programs like the YMCA facility managed by the UNA.
The long-term target, which extends from 2025-2041, is to meet 20 per cent of the unmet need. This is expected to amount to an additional 55 spaces from UBC Child Care, and 161 from UNA-managed programs.
According to UBC Child Care, these targets are informed by the budget they have available to open new facilities, while also ensuring they can maintain a certain quality of care as expansion occurs. Every five years, the targets are reviewed to ensure they align with any policy changes.
By 2041, they are hoping to have 1,200 spaces total. These new spots will result from reconfigurations at existing childcare facilities and new ones being built.
Karen Vaughan, director of UBC Child Care says, “The demand for quality child care is enormous at UBC, as well as across British Columbia and Canada. While we are one of the largest child care providers in the city, we must continue to set ambitious targets to help meet these needs.”
To address the need for childcare in the short and long term, several projects are either finished or underway.
This past August, the Heron’s Landing child care centre opened with 37 spaces – 12 for children aged 0-36 months and 25 for children aged 3-5 years old.
Additionally, UBC’s Board of Governors recently approved $6.2 million in funding to develop the new Orchard child-care centre, which will be located at West Mall and Agronomy Rd. and provide an additional 24 spaces.
And as a part of a major residential development currently under-construction at Wesbrook Mall and Binning Rd., a new child-care centre will be created with 37 spaces. This development is expected to be completed in summer or fall 2025 and will provide 12 infant and toddler spaces, and 25 pre-school-aged spaces. As with other child-care centres in the university neighbourhoods, it will be operated by the YMCA.
Finally, the funding for a new $560 million housing project around the St. John’s College site that was announced last month will bring 37 more childcare spaces to campus. Campus officials expect that project to be completed by summer 2029.
AMIE BERNAERDT IS A THIRD-YEAR STUDENT AT UBC WITH PLANS TO MAJOR IN CREATIVE WRITING OR ANTHROPOLOGY. SHE LIVES IN WESBROOK PLACE.