Children suffer after closure of resource office
The Daily Courier (Kelowna)
26 Jan 2007
Letters -- By: Julee Attwood

I am writing to express my concern regarding the announcement made Jan. 5 by Linda Reid, Minister of State for Child Care in B.C., informing me that the Child Care Resource and Referral Program is closing and that there will be cuts to the Child Care Operating funding grant as well.

These drastic funding cuts for child care will affect me in the following ways:

1. Substantial increases to my child care fees, due to the cuts in the Child Care Operating Grant, will impact my family greatly. These increases in fees will not be offset the taxable universal child care benefit that I currently receive.

2. My child care providers will be without vital child care supports that are key to providing quality care, when the Child Care Resource and Referral programs services are eliminated. These supports are:

a) Training to upgrade care provider skills

b) Toy Lending Library, Infant Equipment and Resources

c) Support Visits and community information

d) Newsletter

3. The Child Care Resource and Referral Program offers services to thousands of parents every year. When the CCRR services are eliminated, I and all parents will no longer receive local child care support. These supports are:

a) Quality, detailed child care referrals to local child care choices

b) Information and assistance with child care subsidy

c) Local person-to-person and telephone consultation regarding important parenting issues

d) Training opportunities and access to toy lending library items

e) No screening of registered licenced required for child care providers

Children are the ones who will be affected by these drastic cuts to our child-care system. Parents need quality, affordable choices and we can't sit by while our children are the ones who will be adversely affected.

Please restore the cuts to support children in our community. I encourage all parents and grandparents of children who use child care or have used child care to write a letter to the provincial and federal governments.