David Eby Faces Backlash Over Use of Subsidized Child Care
Premier David Eby defended his family's use of scarce $10-a-day child care spots by stating they donated the cost savings back to the facility.
British Columbia Premier David Eby is facing criticism from political opponents after confirming his family uses two of the province's limited $10-a-day child care spaces. The controversy comes as the NDP government maintains a three-year freeze on expanding the program, which currently covers only about 10 percent of child care spaces. Opponents argue that Eby's high income makes his use of these scarce resources fundamentally unfair while low-income families remain on waitlists.
Eby defended the decision, stating his children were already enrolled when the facility joined the program. He and his wife, Cailey Lynch, donated the difference between the subsidized rate and the previous higher cost back to the non-profit operator. His office later specified the family has donated $3,200 and will contribute another $4,800 by the end of the year, totaling $8,000. Eby declined to disclose if these donations provided a tax write-off.
The revelation has sparked a policy debate ahead of the October 24 provincial election. The Conservative Party of British Columbia is proposing means testing for future subsidies, while the B.C. Greens have pledged to lift the enrollment freeze and implement universal free child care by 2031. Child-care advocates have argued that the focus should remain on the government's failure to expand the program to all families as previously promised, suggesting that the Premier's personal donations are beside the point.
