Child Care at UBC
UBC has long been a leader in the provision of quality child care and is the largest provider of on-campus child care in North America. The supply of child care spaces has steadily increased over the last 40 years. UBC Child Care Services and the University Neighbourhood Association (UNA) deliver a range of child care programs to serve infant, toddler, preschool ages as well as out of school age programs.
See below for a map outlining child care centers and out of school care facilities on the UBC Vancouver campus.
Child Care Expansion Plan
Download the Child Care Expansion Plan
The Plan aims to create an inventory of approximately 1,200 spaces by 2041, with a focus on delivering more child care spaces for children under 3 years of age.
In 2009, the UBC Child Care Expansion Plan was approved by UBC’s Board of Governors to guide the planning, development and operations of child care on campus for both academic and neighbourhood lands. The Plan was updated in 2018 and provides a framework to deliver on UBC’s child care policy commitments to addresses long-range needs for child care as the campus population continues to grows.
Plan Targets
The plan includes child care targets that reflect a balanced approach to expansion: one that ensures that the pace of growth is both in step with maintaining UBC’s quality of child care and is based on available funding to build and operate child care at UBC. The Child Care Expansion Plan also takes into consideration the current provincial and federal child care funding structures and policy.
The plan sets 5-year targets (to 2024) and long-term targets (from 2025-2041):
1. 5-year Targets (to 2024)
- Meet 15% of the infant/toddler/preschooler estimated unmet child care need* by 2024.
2. Long Term Targets (from 2025-2041)
- Meet 20% of the infant/toddler/preschooler estimated unmet child care need by 2041
Targets will be reviewed every five years, or as required, to align with any changes in policy including changes in future neighbourhoods or if capital plans change.
*Unmet child care need is estimated using the UBC Child Care Planning Tool which takes into consideration 1) UBC child population living on campus as well as child dependents of students, faculty and staff; 2) labour force participation rates; 3) projected residential growth; and 4) number of child care spaces available.