April 29, 2022 – BGC Canada (formerly Boys & Girls Clubs of Canada) was pleased to see funding for a province-wide early learning and child care program in the Ontario Budget tabled yesterday. The $13.2 billion dollar investment, provided through an agreement with the federal government, will ensure lower costs and increased access to quality child care options for Ontario families. BGC Canada continues to urge all levels of government to provide affordable, flexible child care for all early years and school aged children.

Evidence shows how important before and after school programs are to child development and supporting our economy. That’s why in our pre-budget submission, BGC Canada called for increased investments in the Ontario After School Program (OASP). Provincial support through OASP is critical in ensuring that BGC Clubs can continue to deliver high-quality, low cost programs for all school aged children and youth. Now, more than ever, young people need welcoming and safe spaces to learn, make friends, and become active and engaged community members. BGC Canada will continue to advocate for the Ontario government to invest more in OASP and its positive impact on families across the province. 

BGC Canada was also pleased to see an increased investment in the Roadmap to Wellness, which will increase youth access to mental health and addiction services across the province.

“The 2022 provincial budget has made real progress towards providing child care opportunities for families across the province that need it the most,” says Owen Charters, President & CEO, BGC Canada. “But we are calling on the provincial government to invest more in the Ontario After School Program. Young people and their families were disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and nonprofits, including BGC Clubs, are on the front lines providing support to families, many who live in vulnerable communities. Our Clubs provide an important connection for youth to mental wellness programs, mentorship, employment, and other supports, and we know that further investment in before and after school programs and the charitable sector is needed to ensure this generation is not left behind.”

About BGC Canada
For 120+ years, BGC Canada has been creating opportunities for millions of Canadian kids and teens. As Canada’s largest child and youth serving charitable organization, our Clubs open their doors to young people and their families at 775 locations nationwide. During out-of-school hours in small and large cities, and rural and Indigenous communities, our trained staff and volunteers provide programs and services that help young people realize positive outcomes in self-expression, academics, healthy living, physical activity, job readiness, mental health, leadership, and more. Opportunity changes everything.

To read BGC Canada’s Guiding Principles for a National Childcare Program, click here.

April 8, 2022 – Yesterday, Minister of Finance Chrystia Freeland unveiled the Liberal Government’s 2022 federal budget: A Plan to Grow Our Economy and Make Life More Affordable. BGC Canada is pleased to see investments in support for mental health, affordable dental care, and the creation of an Early Learning and Child Care infrastructure fund to support the building of new child care facilities—but we know more needs to be done to support the nonprofit sector and our contribution to Canada’s social safety net.

In our pre-budget submission, BGC Canada called for investments to support the recovery of our Clubs and other community service organizations as they continue to be impacted by COVID-19. These priorities included a recognition of the importance of after-school programming, support for BGC Clubs through expanding the Community Services Recovery Fund, and increased investments for youth mental health. Employee burnout, staffing shortages, and a decline in revenues continue to impact almost half of charities in Canada.

“The 2022 federal budget has made steps in the right direction, but more needs to be done to support care workers,” says Owen Charters, President & CEO, BGC Canada. “Young people and their families continue to face impacts from COVID-19 and there is a long road ahead. While we have seen support for early learning and child care, additional financial investments for workers and community service charities is needed as we continue to provide essential supports to communities across the country.”

BGC Canada applauds many of the investments found in Budget 2022 including:

• Mental Health Supports: $1.2 billion to provinces and territories to increase health care capacity and support people experiencing mental health challenges.
• Early Learning and Child Care: $625 million over four years, beginning in 2023-24, for an Early Learning and Child Care Infrastructure Fund to assist in the building of new facilities focused on nonprofit and public early learning and child care providers.
• Affordable Dental Care: $5.3 billion to provide dental care for low-income families, with those under 12 guaranteed care by the end of 2022.
• Addressing Racism: $85 million over four years to finalize a new Anti-Racism Strategy and National Action Plan on Combatting Hate.
• Support for 2S & LGBTQIA+ Priorities: $100 million over five years to support the implementation of a National LGBTQ2 Action Plan.
• Tackling Substance Use: $100 million over three years, to support harm reduction, treatment, and prevention at the community level.

About BGC Canada
For 120+ years, BGC Canada has been creating opportunities for millions of Canadian kids and teens. As Canada’s largest child and youth serving charitable organization, our Clubs open their doors to young people and their families at 775 locations nationwide. During out-of-school hours in small and large cities, and rural and Indigenous communities, our trained staff and volunteers provide programs and services that help young people realize positive outcomes in self-expression, academics, healthy living, physical activity, job readiness, mental health, leadership, and more. Opportunity changes everything.

BGC Canada applauds the Ontario government’s recent commitment to creating a province-wide early learning and child care program. The $13.2 billion dollar investment, provided through an agreement with the federal government, will ensure lower costs and increased access to quality child care options for Ontario children and their families.

The six-year agreement will create 86,000 new, high-quality child care spaces, improve compensation for those working in licensed child care, and support the recruitment of new early child care educators as demand is expected to grow. Quality, affordable child care contributes to strong families and strong communities and gives children more opportunities to thrive. BGC Canada continues to urge governments to provide affordable child care and recreation options for all youth.

As the largest child and youth serving organization in Canada, we create opportunities and remove barriers for over 200,000 young people through high-quality early learning and child care, as well as before and after school programs. BGC Clubs often work in neighbourhoods that are at greatest risk and we are encouraged by the Ontario government’s commitment to supporting the needs of diverse and underserved populations, including low-income, francophone, Indigenous, Black, other racialized and newcomer communities, as well as vulnerable and special needs children.

BGC Canada will continue to monitor investments and the rollout of Canada’s national child care initiative as more details become available. Read more on BGC Canada’s Guiding Principles for a National Childcare Program here.