Letter: Sharon Gregson, Okanagan Castanet.net

To the editor:

It’s ironic the BC government has proclaimed May as Child Care Month while the crisis for families with young children goes from bad to scary.

Exorbitantly high parent fees of $1,915 per month, below-poverty level wages for workers, and long wait lists reflecting the desperation of families, mean it is only wealthy or lucky parents who can access quality licensed child care while they work or study.

But, the crisis will not be solved by expanding big-box for-profit commercial child care chains.

Why would we want scarce tax-payer dollars providing profits for investors and shareholders? We should spend public funds to put children and families first.

The crisis is identified by the Coalition of Child Care Advocates who calls on the BC government to stop funding the expansion of new big-box for-profit commercial child care businesses.

Of course the true solution to the crisis is the $10/day Plan for a Public System of Integrated Early Care & Learning that would cap fees, improve wages for workers and create child care spaces across the province.

If the Premier supports “Jobs, Jobs, Jobs” and puts Families First she should stop siphoning off tax dollars for investors and shareholder profits and instead build a child care system for BC.