WHO WE ARE

At the end of 2009, the BC Child Care Advocacy Forum honoured and celebrated a decade of working together to advance a progressive child care vision and agenda. 2009 was our final year of funding from the Vancouver Foundation. We would like to bring closure to our work, celebrate an important era in BC child care advocacy and put our on-going commitment to advocacy to work where it can continue to make a difference. We agree it makes most sense for the Forum's member organizations to devote whatever time and resources they can to First Call's Early Childhood Development (ECD) Roundtable and to ensure that child care remains a priority at that table. And, we have contributed the Forum's remaining resources to support First Call and the ECD Roundtable to carry on the work.

OUR HISTORY

Established in the spring of 1999, the Child Care Advocacy Forum was an alliance of five provincial child care organizations that brought together over 4000 individuals, groups and child care providers in BC. While continuing to work on their own organizational priorities, the member organizations of the Forum worked together to advance a Common Vision and Agenda for Child Care in BC.

The Advocacy Forum played a leadership role in mobilizing public support for child care and has initiated advocacy strategies and campaigns related to recent policy changes and funding cuts to child care in BC, federal and provincial budgets, the Federal/Provincial/Territorial Early Childhood Development Agreement and child care as a cornerstone of early childhood development services.

The work of the Forum was supported through a grant from the Vancouver Foundation (sponsored by SFU Childcare Society) and Status of Women Canada BC/Yukon Division (sponsored by the Coalition of Child Care Advocates of BC).

Participating organizations include:

BC ASSOCIATION OF CHILD CARE EMPLOYERS
An association of child care employers across BC.

COALITION OF CHILD CARE ADVOCATES OF BC
A voluntary organization working for a non-profit child care system that is high quality, affordable, accessible, publicly funded and accountable.

EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS OF BC
The professional association for early childhood educators in BC.

SCHOOL AGE CHILD CARE ASSOCIATION OF BC
A province-wide organization offering support and communication for the school age child care field.

WESTCOAST CHILD CARE RESOURCE CENTRE
A resource centre that enhances and supports the delivery of child care services in Vancouver and throughout British Columbia through a variety of programs, projects and services.