Province to provide financial aid to families of school aged children

Families in B.C. will be able to access some supports for covering their children’s school expenses.

The province is investing $20 million into the Student and Family Affordability Fund, which is meant to help cover the extra costs of student necessities, such as school supplies, school fees, extracurricular activities like sports teams and music programs, and class trip costs.

“The Student and Family Affordability Fund is truly making a difference for families, and will ensure students are supported throughout the school year and no student is left out because of costs,” Minister of Education and Child Care Rachna Singh stated.

“Teachers and principals see students every day and know what kind of supports they might need. Parents or families who are struggling with expenses should know that this funding is there for you.”

The funding will be available for schools to provide to families within their areas. Details on how much of the funding the local school districts would be able to access were not disclosed.

“Students whose families are struggling with cost-of-living increases will benefit directly from these funds,” Carolyn Broady, president of the British Columbia School Trustees Association, stated.

“Boards of education appreciate the government recognizing the impact of inflation on families and school communities, and understanding that local school districts are best positioned to ensure students have access to the resources they need to thrive academically and personally.”

Over the previous two years, the B.C. Government had invested a combined $60 million in the Student and Family Affordability Fund.

The province noted topping up this fund comes following an investment of $214 million over three years into the Feeding Futures Fund, which can be used by school districts to create and expand school food programs for students.