Vancouver Island News Group - Duncan News
October 13, 2004
By Frances Marr Darling

Mary Dolan had a revelation beside the sandbox one day. Co-ordinator of early childhood education at the Cairnsmore centre, she remembers the sand getting thin. When it was filled, "play just exploded around the sandbox." With plenty of material for every child, they went to work exuberantly.

"Our message to government is that our sand level is low. Who's going to fill it? How long can we continue with diminished resources, with a lack of recognition for our field?"

She was encouraged when the federal throne speech last week promised a national childcare funding and standard-setting framework. But that's just a start. Federal funders must hold provincial governments accountable for how they spend childcare dollars.

Dolan says, "We were very offended when out of $23 million from the Early Development Initiative, none came directly to child care." Instead of eliminating top-up fees for families outside subsidy levels, provincial Liberals set up community co-ordination and more research.

Babysitting for working parents may be all we think childcare centres are doing. But accredited staff offer a head start on a child's successful learning and behaviour. In fact, that's the name of the best example: the U.S.A.'s Head Start in the 1960's. Intended to reverse the negative effects
of poverty before public school began, it became the model for early learning.

Says retired pediatrician Peg Cox, who has advised Growing Together since its start, "Play is children's learning work, and the play needs to be very broad, the most rich environment we can make it." That doesn't mean "forcing rote flash cards at them", but providing water play, art materials, climbing equipment, and a sandbox to exercise ever-growing brains.

These women's vision is radically wonderful: early childhood learning centres all over town, just as mainstream and accessible as schools, close to workplaces so parents can be involved, co-ordinating with public health, social workers, and the school district. This is way beyond day care. This is a vision of the entire national village raising every child.

Why should government subsidize what kids do naturally?

Because nothing will replace the best start in life they can get. And because kids at risk - living in fear, in poverty, with special learning needs - can be helped early on by play targeted to areas of a small brain that need bolstering, and support for parents.

The vision is huge, it's expensive, and we may not be able to afford it. But we can't afford not to move in that direction.

"Canada lags behind most developed countries like Scandinavia and Europe. Head Start showed that if we spend a dollar now, at this early age, we save $7 later in life. It's a good investment," warns Cox.

In 20 years, will Canadians wish this generation had a better start in their education?

A century ago, teachers taught for the love of it and kids worked on slates. Early childhood educators are at that same spot now, dreaming of giving every child - and every parent - a place to play.