Child-care costs to rise with lack of federal funds
The Daily News (Kamloops)
09 Jan 2007
Byline: Cam Fortems

Parents will pay more -- it's the only certainty after a decision by the B.C. Liberal government not to fill a child-care deficit handed it by the Conservatives in Ottawa.

Child-care providers were struggling Monday with the financial fallout.

The YM-YWCA's child-care resource and referral centre is looking at an estimated cut that would leave it with the lowest budget in its 15-year history.

"What the service will look like is a big question," program director Mary-Ellen Everatt said Monday.

There is little question, however, parents will pay more to place their children in care starting in September.

Linda Reid, B.C.'s minister of state for childcare, said elimination of a federal program removes $455 million in funding over three years from Ottawa.

While a subsidy program for low-income parents will be retained, most will see fee hikes in September to make up for a reduction in federal funding from Ottawa.

Elimination of the $2 a day that goes directly to child-care providers will equal about $40 a month, money that day-care providers can't cover, said Vi-Anne Zirnhelt, executive director of Children's Circle Daycare downtown.

"The cost is going to be transferred to the parents," she said.

Changes will also force Children's Circle as well as another non-profit day-care centre on the North Shore to relook at budgets to create new spaces. Both received federal funding under the former Liberal government in Ottawa to create new child-care spaces.

The Tories honoured the first year of what was intended to be a five-year program.

One year ago the YM/YWCA opened a larger drop-in centre for parents, day-care providers and young children in Aberdeen.

Continuation of that program each weekday morning is in question, Everatt said. The organization serves about 8,000 parents a year, including a toy lending service and a listing service of qualified day-care providers.

The agency also helps family day-care operators establish new spaces both in Kamloops and the outlying region.

Everatt urged parents to speak and write to their MLA and MP over what she called a threat to child care in the province.

"Parents are going to have money cut from them. Day cares are having funds cut. Where will that money come from?"