Jobs Minister Shirley Bond said she's working to better define a list of priority tuition programs, but gave the example of office administrative support staff as one possible choice. Photograph by: Les Bazso, Vancouver Sun

VICTORIA — Single parents on welfare can get free tuition and child care as they train and start a new job, the government announced Wednesday.

The province unveiled a new $24.5-million plan that will cover school fees, daycare, medical costs and transportation for single parents as they try to move off income or disability supports and into the workforce.

“What we’ve really been grappling with is: Is it right to say to a single parent who is struggling that you either stay home with your children or you go to a training program?” asked Jobs Minister Shirley Bond.

“And we said, ‘No, that’s not good enough.’ There needs to be support so that person can choose to go to school and still be confident their child is in proper care.”

The move, which Social Development Minister Michelle Stilwell called “one of the most significant social program shifts this government has ever introduced,” was widely praised by service groups and even the Opposition NDP as a significant step toward lifting some families out of poverty.

There are 16,000 single parent families with 26,000 children on income and disability assistance in B.C. Approximately 90 per cent of those parents are female, according to the government.

Currently, if individuals on income assistance or disability want to take trades training or post-secondary classes, they have to give up their government support payments and take out a student loan.

The new program, which starts Sept. 1, would see government pay for 12 months of tuition as long as it’s one of 60 “in demand” occupations, as well as let the person remain on income assistance during school.

Those jobs include carpentry, welding, office support work, retail, cooking, social work, early childhood education, heavy equipment operation, security, plumbing, marriage counselling and baking, among others.

The government will also pay for child care, as well as before and after school care, during the 12 months a person is in school, as well as an additional first year after they start their new job.

There’s no limit to the number of children covered, the government said. And there’s no limit to the cost of daycare, to be “fully covered” by the province, even though daycare fees can run more than $1,200 a month in some parts of the province, said Children and Family Development Minister Stephanie Cadieux.

The child care support is a critical part of the plan, said Janet Austin, CEO of YWCA Metro Vancouver.

“People are driven into welfare dependence because without access to child care, they can’t work,” said Austin. “And they can’t improve their employment potential by studying, without losing their source of income. So it’s very challenging.”

The YWCA operates affordable housing for single mothers and children, transition housing for women leaving abusive relationships, child care facilities, youth programs and a downtown east side service that focuses on aboriginal women and children in need.

“When you’re looking to support people to make a permanent change to independence, employment is the route out of poverty,” said Austin.