NPA approves childcare review: City's strict standards limiting spaces
Vancouver Courier
11 Oct 2006
By: Mark Hasiuk

EXCERPT

City childcare standards are too strict and may be limiting the number of childcare spaces in the city, says an NPA city councillor.

"It's time to take a fresh look at these standards," said NPA Coun. Kim Capri. "I want to review the guidelines and create some new options."

In a close vote decided along party lines, council agreed to review long-standing childcare standards, and Capri hopes future changes will move Vancouver's childcare system into the 21st century.

"Nobody wants to compromise safety or quality care, I just want to see some new spaces. It's a different city than it was 20 years ago."

She doesn't believe an effective childcare system can be maintained under the current standards. But when asked, she could not give any examples of what those standards include.

Council had previously signed off on a so-called EcoDensity strategy to encourage denser neighbourhoods, which would create more populated areas in need of more childcare spaces.

Capri pointed to the recent case..., whose application to create a childcare in her building was denied by the city because the building did not have a continuous space--an indoor and outdoor play area--on the same floor.

"Her proposal met and exceeded provincial standards but fell short of the city's standards," Capri said.... was denied a childcare permit for her space on the top floor of a Yaletown office building because of the city's strict interpretation of municipal childcare standards.

"It was because the outdoor space was on the rooftop and not adjacent to the facility, even though we were prepared to put in a private elevator," she said.

... Vancouver is the only municipality that has its own set of childcare standards apart from the provincial standards.

She said Vancouver's tough standards are severely limiting the number of available childcare spaces.

"It's impossible to find places that meet these requirements, and in Yaletown I don't think they exist."

Vision Vancouver Coun. Heather Deal joined other Vision and COPE councillors in opposing the motion after her amendment, that she described as guarding against any weakening of the current standards, was rejected in a council vote.

"When you review standards, and you don't put in a hard and fast line that they won't be weakened, you can get into trouble in the future."

Deal, who was also unsure of standards specifics, said the NPA's strategy threatens to downgrade the quality of childcare in the city, and she was quick to refute Capri's claims that Vision and COPE are responsible for denying spaces to childcare providers....

... Deal was careful not to advocate a review that would assess childcare providers on a per case basis.

"We don't want there to be a loophole for people to provide substandard healthcare," she said, adding that private childcare centres must always stay faithful to public standards.

"I hope the pressures of the marketplace don't drive down our standards because our childcare system ranks up there with the best in the world."