Grant welcome but child-care centre wonders about timing
Trail Daily Times
March 22, 2007
By: Kate Skye

The Golden Bear Child Care centre in Rossland has received a $10,000 one-time grant from the province but with ongoing cuts to child-care funding, staff aren't sure why they're getting it now.

"We can use the money for three things," manager Amy Rody McKay said, "quality enhancement, like new toys, books (and) educational items; staff training; and minor capital purchases, such as equipment and furnishings." She said the money "was a surprise and we'll gladly take it, but I'm hesitant to think they are giving it to us because they are being nice." Rather, she thinks the money is being given to "appease the child-care community." Child-care educator Sharon Lussier agrees. "It is like they are paying us off to keep quiet after all the protesting. But it won't keep us quiet. We need more trained teachers."

Golden Bear in Rossland is losing three staff this year; two are going on maternity leave and one is moving to Revelstoke.

"There are no early childhood educators to pick up the slack," she said. "We are moving to a new space in September and will have at least three openings and no one wants to work in this field for the money we make." Minister Linda Reid announced the one-time funding this month stating the Ministry of Children and Family Development will allocate $20 million to child-care providers funded under the child-care operating system now and will allocate another $20 million at a later date.

Meanwhile the operating grants that are often used to help boost staff salaries will be cut in June.

Sunshine Children's Centre -- currently closed for spring break -- has also received the one-time grant but will lose $14,000 in operating grants this summer.

Child Care Resource and Referral (CCRR) program manager Sue McIntosh said they only way Sunshine can make up the shortfall is to increase parent fees.

"And parents are already stretched," she said.

The fight for child-care funding must continue, McIntosh said. ... While the one-time injection of cash to Golden Bear and child-care centres like it is certainly welcome, a 40 per cent cut in funding to CCRR programs is discouraging, McIntosh said.

"We have been told the province will spend $9 million instead of $14 million on CCRRs in the province," said Mary Walters, regional coordinator.

CCRR centres in Kitimat, Gibsons and Langley will close, Richmond and the Elk Valley had already closed their offices, and all regions are being told they must work out how the reduced funding will be spent in their regions. "This pits one program against another," Walters said.

As well, the province says it will eliminate the province wide "Safe Spaces" anti-bullying training for caregivers of children, and the lending library that circulates 19,000 toys, videos and learning materials annually. In Trail, two staff will be let go, McIntosh said.

"And the ministry is telling us we will need to be open evenings and weekends. I think the government is putting unrealistic demands on us to do more with less."