Licensed child care wanted
Cariboo Press -- Sicamous Eagle Valley News
22 Apr 2007

With a little help from the community, a solution to the need for flexible, affordable licensed child care in Sicamous could be in place this summer.

The Sicamous/Malakwa Early Childhood Development Committee (ECD) has begun work on getting a space at the Eagle Valley Resource Centre licensed as a temporary child-care facility to meet the demands that come with Sicamous' booming summer population.

Though the Eagle Valley Community Support Society supports the use of the space, funding is needed to bring the facility up to standard for licensing.

"Therefore, we must ask for your support to purchase furnishings, outdoor toys, fresh paint, possibly new flooring and the installation of a sink and some storage cabinets," said the ECD's Shawna Koll in an open letter to Sicamous residents.

Koll adds that furnishings and other contributions would be moved to a permanent child-care centre once one is established.

Recognizing the need for child care is nearing a crisis point in the community, this is the first step being taken by the ECD in response to forums held earlier this month in Sicamous and Malakwa.

At the forums, the ECD heard from parents like Michelle Wolff, who said she could be working more in the community if she could find suitable child care.

"I can only work evenings at this time," said Wolff after the meeting, "And there are other things I can do to generate more income if I had the opportunity."

The ECD also heard from parents who are dependent upon daycare in Salmon Arm, and others who have decided against moving into Sicamous due to the lack of day-care spaces.

Some parents expressed concern with the existing day-care services available in Sicamous, none of which are government-licensed. ...

"What I hear is that families want qualified people to look after their children, and they don't necessarily want to have to use their families to care for their children," said Reed. "They want a place that's licensed and has a proper program. They don't want to have this worry of trying to figure out who they're going to get to care for their children."

Though somewhat off-topic, another issue raised at the forum was the lack of activities for children in the community.

"Day care is just a small area of the requirement in the community," Wolff commented. "It's not just strictly about these pre-school aged children. It is finding answers for the whole community. There are not that many extracurricular activities for children. What can we do as a community to provide activities for these kids?" ...

Focused on dealing with child care needs, the ECD's goals for the community also include an educational campaign on the need for more licensed spaces in the community. As well, the ECD is planning to establish a partnership with School District #83, local businesses and governments to create child-care spaces for use during and after school in the portable at Parkview Elementary school.