Protest shuts down child-care centres
The Daily News (Kamloops)
February 6, 2007
By: Cam Fortems

A walkout by child-care workers today will keep as many as 1,000 Kamloops toddlers and preschoolers at home, staying with family friends or relatives. Many of those child-care workers, as well as parents, will attend a rally at City Hall at noon to protest proposed cuts to operating grants that will hike fees for parents. The child care resource and referral centre is also under threat of closure.

Val Janz, a local child-care advocate, said Kamloops is the only scheduled walkout in B.C. today. Care providers in the rest of the province stage protests Feb. 13.

"We wanted to take action right away and start the groundswell," said Janz, who participated in a press conference in Vancouver on Monday examining proposed child-care cuts.

Those cuts to operating grants of large and small child-care centres will result in fee increases of $40 to $80 a month.

Mary-Ellen Everatt, executive director of the child care resource and referral centre, estimated 60 per cent of family child-care operators will close today, leaving parents of about 400 children scrambling.

While most family operators are in support, Everatt said it's more difficult for them to personally advise families to find alternative arrangements. "I'd say close to 90 per cent of group centres are out, supporting keeping fees down for parents."

One of them is the Kamloops Child Development Centre in North Kamloops, which would normally see 100 children today. Executive director Deb Frolek said it did not have enough staff willing to work to meet standards.

Frolek said some parents are supportive and are concerned about cuts, while others are upset at the inconvenience.

"Others say, 'We love you guys, but it's a huge hardship.' "

As many as 600 children in group care will stay elsewhere today.