Cutbacks threaten EKCCRR
The Daily Bulletin (Kimberley)
16 Jan 2007
By: Gerry Warner
EXCERPT

The future of an East Kootenay agency that's been serving children and their parents for almost 17 years has been thrown in doubt because of a combination of federal and provincial cutbacks.

East Kootenay Child Care Resource and Referral (EKCCRR) has endured several ups and downs through its long history, but this time it may be going down for the count

Program Coordinator Rita Romeo says the service will continue until Sept. 30, but nothing is certain after that. "Maybe another program will develop then, but we simply don't know."

In its present incarnation, EKCCRR provides support and training to child care providers, quality child care referrals for parents, information and assistance to parents seeking access child care subsidies, drop in play group programs, a toy lending library and ongoing consultation to both families and child care providers....

... it was decided to roll back the funding to the province's CCRR agencies to pre-ELCC levels effective April 1, 2007, which is the beginning of the government's new fiscal year. This will reduce the level of ELCC service provided through the spring and summer months and the service will end altogether unless the province comes up with a new program Oct. 1, 2007.

Four full-time staff work at EKCCRR now, but this will go down to three April 1, 2007 and all the staff may be out of a job by Oct. 1 if more money can't be found.

Romeo says she appreciates the predicament the provincial government is in because of the collapse of federal funding. But at the same time, she says she can't help but wonder if the government is cutting its nose to spite its face.

"My message to both levels of government is to seriously think about the effect this will have on all children. There's nothing wrong with trying to protect the most vulnerable children, but they may end up with more vulnerable children and adults this way."

Romeo said the worst aspect of the situation is not knowing what's going to happen after October. "It's not good because we're not sure what's going to happen, the parents are not sure and it's really tough because there's not a lot of child care out there now."

With the current labour shortage, it's also affecting employers because there's fewer people available for the job market if quality child care becomes impossible to find, she said.