Regional officials announced on Friday that families paying for childcare may soon save hundreds of dollars every month.

State Minister for Childcare Katrina Chen, Minister of Education and Childcare Jennifer Whiteside, and Federal Minister for Families, Children and Social Development Karina Gould made the joint announcement Friday morning.

Childcare officials said parents with children under three years old in group care will see the biggest savings with fees reduced to $550 per child each month by December 1st.

Parents with children aged three to five could see fee reductions of up to $445 monthly, and those with children in kindergarten who receive before- and after-school care could save up to $220 monthly.

Childcare centers costing $10 a day are doubling in British Columbia, but the system still faces challenges. Savings will be higher for families receiving group care compared to those using family care and home care.

The fee reductions are expected to be expanded to include all school-aged children next September, with Chen saying during the Friday announcement: "To all parents, I want to tell you as a mom, I feel you... we understand that childcare is critical."

The province said it will work directly with childcare providers, so parents will not need to apply for lower fees, and the new savings are not income-based. Officials also estimate that families with about 69,000 children will benefit from the fee reductions.

Childcare providers will be able to increase their fees, but by no more than three percent of the typical fees charged by similar providers in their area.

By the end of the year, parents with children in kindergarten and younger are expected to pay an average of $21 a day, with the province saying this is down from an average of $53 a day before any ChildCareBC support was implemented.

In June, the province announced that the $10-a-day childcare program would expand through a partnership with the federal government. At that time, the province said $10-a-day childcare spaces would grow from about 6,500 in the province to 12,500.

The First Nations Leadership Council said in a statement Friday that it commends the province’s work to lower childcare fees, describing it as "an important step in the right direction."

President Terry Teegee said in a statement: "We look forward to engaging with the province to discuss discrimination-based funding opportunities and support for First Nations in the protected area who wish to establish licensed childcare facilities."

The province also said its new childcare savings are funded through the five-year, $3.2 billion Canada-B.C. program.