Expansion of AHS in BC 2021

BC AHS Expansion Opportunity 2022

About AHS

Funding Opportunity

Is your Indigenous organization interested in transforming your existing urban childcare services to a no-fee, culturally based, Aboriginal Head Start program?

Overview

BC Budget 2022 supports reconciliation with new investments supporting the health and well-being of Indigenous peoples and communities. This funding will convert 400 urban and on-reserve Indigenous childcare spaces (200 spaces each) to a high-quality Aboriginal Head Start (AHS) model of care.

Eligible Indigenous organizations are invited to apply for this opportunity to convert their urban Indigenous-led childcare facilities to the AHS program model, making them no-fee, holistic childcare and family wellness programs.

BC Budget 2022

BC Budget 2022 supports reconciliation through a range of new investments that prioritize the health and well-being of Indigenous peoples and communities.

Operational funding of $8.66M is allocated per year to convert 400 existing Indigenous childcare spaces to the Aboriginal Head Start (AHS) program model, making them no-fee, holistic childcare and family wellness programs.

Treasury Board approved the transition of 400 existing Indigenous-led childcare spaces from their current funding model to a fully operationally funded, high-quality AHS model of care.

A decision from the Province has been made to divide the annual $8.66M equally between urban and on-reserve Indigenous childcare programs, $4.33M to FNHA for on-reserve communities and $4.33M to AHSABC annually for urban Indigenous communities.

Young child having lunch with an Indigenous Elder

Indigenous Elder with a young girl doing a learning activity

BC Budget

AHS Need

About Aboriginal Head Start

AHS programs are Indigenous-led, no-fee early learning and childcare programs that support Indigenous children up to six years of age and their families.

AHS programs incorporate six main program components and three foundational components:

Culture and language
Education and school readiness
Health promotion
Nutrition
Parent and family involvement
Social support
AHS Beliefs and Values
Accountability and Management
Leadership and Staffing

These culturally based childcare programs also include wrap-around services for Indigenous families and enhanced staffing to support inclusion and family supports.

Need for AHS Growth

Young Indigenous children wearing high-visibility vests outside

Indigenous Elder playing a drum for children

The addition of 400 new AHS spaces will help meet a growing need and address a gap in Indigenous-led childcare in BC. The Indigenous population is the fastest growing population in Canada, growing by 42.5% — more than four times faster than the rest of the population — between 2006 and 2018 (StatCan 150 Census).

There are over 232,000 Indigenous people in BC, approximately 67% of whom live off-reserve in urban areas. Over the next seven years, the number of Indigenous children aged 0-5 years is expected to grow from approximately 28,900 to 31,600 in BC. This means an additional 2,700 Indigenous-led spaces will be needed to support this population growth across our province.

Further support is also needed for existing Indigenous childcare providers. BC’s first AHS expansion project, started in 2018, is funded through the Canada-BC Bilateral ELCC Agreement. This agreement stipulated that these federal funds could only be used to create new spaces. Existing Indigenous childcare spaces were ineligible.

Existing Indigenous childcare programs experience similar challenges to non-Indigenous sites and must charge high parent fees to remain operational. This has resulted in closures of Indigenous childcare centres serving the most vulnerable families, highlighting the need for an opportunity to convert existing Indigenous childcare programs to AHS sites. These childcare sites would benefit from the single funding stream model that AHS uses in place of parent fees to cover operating costs.

Goals

Timeline

3-Step Expansion Plan April 2022 - September 2022

Step 1 - Promote AHS

Apply by April 30, 2022

AHSABC will promote the AHS Funding Opportunity with our Provincial partners.
Information will be shared about the opportunity to transition ‘existing childcare’ or ‘soon-to-open childcare’ programs into an AHS model of childcare with eligible Urban Indigenous Organizations.
Express your interest below & our team will contact you to discuss this funding opportunity.

Step 2 - Invite to AHS

May 1 - June 15

Eligible organizations will be shortlisted and invited to develop an AHS Implementation Plan.
AHSABC will support these Indigenous Organizations in their Implementation Plan development.

Step 3 - Implement AHS

By September 1, 2022

AHSABC and the Indigenous Organizations go into funding agreements.
New AHS programs launch and open.

Goals

What will AHSABC achieve with this opportunity?

The creation of 200 new urban AHS spaces that will help meet a growing need and address a gap in Indigenous-led childcare in BC.
An increase in the number of Indigenous families accessing no-fee, culturally based, and inclusive AHS childcare.
The new AHS childcare centres will have support and training from AHSABC and peer AHS programs to grow into their new AHS model of delivery.

Children holding drums, sitting on a Metis rug

Timeline

Eligibility

Eligibility Guidelines

Who is invited to apply to become a new AHS?

Existing licensed, Indigenous-led urban childcare facilities accessing CCOF/CCFRI; or
‘Soon-to-open’ Indigenous-led urban childcare facilities.

NOTE: Successful sites accessing this provincial AHS funding stream will not be eligible for CCOF/CCFRI going forward; and families at these sites will not be eligible for the Affordable Child Care Benefit.