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Camosun College will continue to operate its two
child-care centres
Victoria, BC
March 2005
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College will save day-care centres, board announces
Victoria Times Colonist
23 Mar 2005
Camosun College will continue to operate its two child-care
centres, threatened with closure last year due to rising costs.
Camosun's board of governors announced the decision after
hearing from a task force set up to study the issue. Task
force members submitted a report to the board last month and
had worked on a revised business plan for the centres.
The possibility of closing the two child-care centres, one
at the Lansdowne campus and one at Interurban, came up last
June when administrators grew alarmed at the cost of the service.
Of late, the college has been spending $260,000 a year to
maintain 60 child-care spaces, with another $90,000 coming
from students.
The centres' uncertain fate spurred a demonstration by staff,
students and parents. Many users said their ability to attend
college depended on the child-care operations.
Peter Lloyd, chairman of the board of governors, said the
challenge to be met "is to ensure that the operations can
be run in a financially sustainable fashion."
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Camosun Child Care Program will stay open
CUPE
Parents and workers involved in Camosun College's child
care program were pleased to hear that the Board of Governors
voted, at their March 21, 2005 meeting, to keep the award-winning
program open.
The decision comes on the heels of a recommendation by the
Task Force established by the Board last June when Camosun
administrators recommended closure of the 18 year old program
because of changing financial priorities for the college.
A campaign to keep to child care program was launched by
a coalition of groups including parents, CUPE and regional
child care advocates. Hundreds of people signed an on-line
petition and sent letters and emails to the board, members
of parliament and provincial MLAs.
Details of the new funding formula for the Child Care program
have not yet been made public but contributions from CUPE
and the Faculty are part of the agreement to keep the program
up and running.
"We are urging the Board of Governors to write to Ken
Dryden and anyone else who may hold child care purse strings,"
says CUPE member Louise Oetting. "We're happy with the
outcome but still concerned that the administration, given
the chance, would re direct resources to other new initiatives
and forgo the very important child care program."
Louise Oetting
Chief Shop Steward CUPE Local 2081
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