Vancouver, April 15, 2026 – The Francophone Child Care Resource and Referral (FCCRR), a branch of le Phare C.-B., will bring together professionals in the field of preschool and school-age child care from across the province under one roof for a unique weekend! The excitement is palpable, with nearly 100 participants already registered.
In line with its mandate, this first major conference aims to offer training and presentations to enhance the skills of all professionals in the field (managers, educators, owners of family child care centres, etc.), while creating a strong and united network to address the various challenges facing the field of French-language child care services in British Columbia.
Under the theme “Building Connections, Opening Perspectives,” the conference will serve as a meeting place where various stakeholders in the field of early childhood will have the opportunity to create lasting connections and relationships that will break down isolation, share expertise among peers, and continue discussions beyond these two days. Renowned experts have been invited to share their knowledge with the participants on various topics of interest to them. Participants will also have the opportunity to hear Richard Vaillancourt, Strategic Programming Director at the Commission nationale des parents francophones (CNPF), who will offer a national perspective on the collective strength of professionals in minority settings.
This major event will also be an opportunity to recognize, celebrate, and be inspired by the winners of the four Horizon 2026 Awards, which will be presented to professionals who stand out for their leadership, the excellence of their work, their passion, and their commitment to families in their regions.
In addition, the Horizon 2026 conference is timely, as the Fédération des parents published a study in the fall of 2025 on the needs for child care centres offering services in French (in French only). This study reveals, among other things, a shortage of 8,000 child care spaces and the need to train 2,368 additional Francophone educators to meet the demand from communities in British Columbia. These findings echo the results of the recent “From Promise to Practice” study by the C.D. Howe Institute. The study highlights persistent gaps in the implementation of the Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement, according to the CNPF, which reminds us of the urgent need for action (in French only) for families living in official language minority communities (OLMCs).
In light of this, the Fédération des parents, through Le Phare C.-B. and its branches (FCCRR, le Réseau intersectoriel petite enfance (RIPE), child care centre management), continues to do everything possible to support the network of Francophone professionals in the province, ensuring, among other things, the removal of obstacles to their participation in this type of conference. Notably, this includes covering associated expenses, and also the Fédération’s many available services and resources such as professional development support grants and much more.
The media are cordially invited to this conference. Please confirm your attendance as soon as possible.
The Horizon 2026 conference will take place:
- Friday, May 1, from 6:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.: Opening Night and Awards Ceremony
- Saturday, May 2, from 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.: Conference and Training Sessions
- Location: Executive Hotel Richmond Airport, located at 7311 Westminster Hwy, Richmond, BC V6X 3K3
Conference website: lepharecb.ca/conference-horizon2026
Program: lepharecb.ca/horizon2026-programmation
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Media Contact:
Benita Nisaro
Manager – Communications, Marketing, and Partnerships
Fédération des parents francophones de Colombie-Britannique (FPFCB)
Cell: (236) 785-2657 | Office: (604) 736-5056 (option 1)
Email: communication@fpfcb.bc.ca
