B.C. to push Ottawa for more child-care dollars
Times Colonist (Victoria)
01 Jun 2006
By: Jeff Rud
EXCERPT

B.C. Minister of State Linda Reid is setting up another chance to lobby her Ottawa counterpart for a firmer federal funding commitment on child care.

Reid said Wednesday she has invited federal Human Resources Minister Diane Finley to visit B.C. during the next two months to continue discussions on the Conservative government's approach to the issue.

Reid took part in a day-long group session with Finley as part of the federal-provincial-territorial meetings in Ottawa earlier this week.

The meeting ended with several provincial ministers still keenly disappointed in the federal approach.

"The information provided [by the federal government] was still very sketchy,'' Reid said in an interview from Toronto. "I am hoping to nail down more details [when Finley visits].''

Stephen Harper's Conservatives decided to fund only the first two years of the previous federal government's five-year $5-billion national child-care plan.

That deal would have seen B.C. receive $633 million over the five years. The province now will receive $178 million over two years....

Reid said she was encouraged to hear this week that Ottawa is willing to allow private-sector firms to access these tax incentives.

The federal government is also planning rounds of consultation across the country in late summer or early fall to see if companies and non-profit groups are interested, she said. "We'll see if it attracts people to build spaces.''

But besides helping to help create child-care spaces, Reid said Ottawa must also provide funds to sustain them.

A recent Ontario study showed that $10,000 a year is required to operate and maintain a single child-care space.

The provinces believe the federal government should recognize this, Reid said.

"The ministers are very united in our approach to secure additional dollars. We are committed to stay on it," she said.