Child care advocates making voices heard
Chilliwack Times
03 Apr 2007
By: Paul J. Henderson

Child care advocates across B.C. held symbolic rallies on bridges on Friday and Saturday to raise public awareness about recent funding cuts from the provincial and federal governments.

The "Bridging our communities for child care" events were held in Duncan, Prince Rupert, Trail and here in Chilliwack, where attendees walked the bridge on Yale Road over the rail lines.

The federal child care funding agreement that was cancelled by the Conservative government means there are now less federal dollars coming to B.C. for child care.

"That money was to assist them with running a quality operation," said Barb Presseau, coordinator for the Chilliwack and Fraser Region Childcare Resource and Referral (CCRR) program. "Also to help them to maybe consider not upping parents fees; to keep them reasonable.

On July 1 many child care providers are increasing fees to parents, so it's going to be even harder for parents to pay for child care."

Some child care providers may not be raising their rates as of July 1, but this means providers are essentially subsidizing child care for parents, she said.

Initially managers of CCRRs and child care providers say they were told their province-wide budgets would be reduced from $14 million to $9 million, although the minister in charge maintained there was never a final decision made.

Presseau and others told the Times they were told as of March 30 the budgets would be reduced to $9 million, and then on Sept. 30 all CCRR doors would shut.

Child care providers, their supporters and parents of children who use them got a dose of what they called "very good news" as those planned provincial government cuts were announced to be, at least partially, not as deep as originally thought.

But that doesn't mean things are as they should be, according to Presseau, and while she did want it to be known that the funding reinstatement was good news, the uncertainty that still remains is hard for families and those working in child care.