Child care needed now
Burnaby Now
March 14, 2007
Opinion -- By: Kathy Tones

Dear Editor:

As an early childhood educator, I have been reading your articles with enthusiasm. Child care has had its struggles over the years but, now that more parents are needing care, it is a highly sought-after commodity. Times have changed, and we need to support the working people of this country.

If parents require care for their child shouldn't they have the opportunity to get the best possible for their child?

Why should they settle for less, as Sylvia Leroy states they should? For her to quote a 2004 study just shows how far behind the times she truly is. She needs to speak to the families that have quality care and learn from them what they have learned by giving their child the best possible care. These are the ordinary, everyday working people of this great country. Without them, Canada will not work!

More and more parents are in the work force and are needing care for their children, thus the long wait lists and lack of spaces. The fact that funding was cut from the colleges and universities and they dropped their early childhood programs that educated the workers that then went into the child-care field has also impacted the child-care field.

What else can governments do to damage this industry? Why can't Canada have a child-care system? Why don't we as a society recognize a child before they turn six years old? Why can't we provide services for children under the age of six?

I work in the field and know the benefits to parents as they hand over their most valued assets to me; to provide care for, nurture, teach and encourage through every step of the day as they learn through their play.

If we truly want Canada to work, we need to start at the bottom and provide a solid foundation for the children of this country and give them quality licensed affordable, accessible child care.

They are our future and need support today, not 10 years from now. Make Canada work properly - provide child care for working parents today.