Sharon Gregson, Vancouver Courier

To the editor:

Re: “Liberal government committed to child care,” March 4.

In response to Minister Mary Polak’s glowing description of how wonderful services are for children and families in British Columbia, I can only wonder aloud exactly where it is that she gets her information.

Minister Polak says “families can choose from a range of affordable, safe, quality child care options.” But parents on long waiting lists are desperate to know what quality options they have, and parents struggling to pay $1,000 a month for toddler care would like to know what affordable options they have, and parents with school-age children but no before or after school care spaces would like to know what their safe options are. Minister Polak also needs to be reminded that as lovely as Strong Start drop-in programs are –they do not help working parents who need child care spaces.

If the provincial government wants to do as Minister Polak says and “work closely with parents and communities,” then we need to remind her that childcare is early learning and that the Coalition of Child Care Advocates of B.C. has a plan on how to move forward from the current crisis because clearly after 10 years in government the B.C. Liberals have only deepened our childcare crisis.