Our government values child care
The Daily News -- Prince Rupert
09 Nov 2006
Opinion & Letters -- By: Linda Reid, Minister of State for Childcare

To the editor,

I believe it is important that I respond to the column from MLA Gary Coons that appeared in the Nov. 3 edition of the Prince Rupert Daily News (Childcare ... kids are worth it) - a column that clearly suggests he needs schooling in the facts about child care.

Not only does Mr. Coons not understand a thing about child care programs currently operating in B.C. but his own party's record on child care and early childhood development is shameful.

In 10 years, they didn't do much for child care in Prince Rupert.

It is vital that we give all British Columbian children the strongest possible start, of which child care is an important part. I would hope that Mr. Coons would agree that we should do what we can to assist low and middle income families.

This is precisely why the BC Liberal government has made a commitment to protect and maintain the provincial Child Care Subsidy Program. At present, this program supports about 25,000 low and middle-income families throughout B.C. - including those on the North Coast.

We have also announced that the $100 per month federal Universal Child Care Benefit which parents are now receiving will not be considered as income when determining eligibility for child care subsidy.

This government is also working hard to improve services to children - and their families -- in Prince Rupert. While in Prince Rupert in July, we announced $35,000 in funding to support the Parents and Children Education Services Hub, which co-ordinates early childhood development and family-strengthening services in the community. A further $500,000 was awarded to the Prince Rupert Options for Social Growth Society for the creation of new child care spaces and the enhancement of pre-existing spaces.

Mr. Coons can sit back and bemoan the fact that the people of Canada elected a federal government that has a different approach to delivering child care funding than its predecessor - and certainly, this change of course comes with its fair share of challenges. That's why our government was among the first to meet with the federal minister responsible for child care.

Frankly, political rhetoric or simply playing armchair quarterback will get us nowhere. I believe we need to roll up our sleeves, get to work and achieve the best deal possible for B.C. families from Ottawa's child care spaces initiative while establishing how the federal government will fund those spaces.