Parents urged to speak up about child care cuts
Cowichan Valley Citizen
16 May 2007
By: Ashley Gaudreault

The Coalition of Child Care Advocates of BC launched its 'Code Blue' tour Saturday, May 12, at the Cowichan Centre in Duncan.

The 'Child Care Let's Make it Happen!' event featured information displays, a video and activities to keep children busy.

Among the clattering of toys and giggles of laughter, Nanaimo-Cowichan MP Jean Crowder said she's proud of her community's support for child care.

"I've got tons of letters and emails," she said. "If you're going to write a letter about this, I suggest you write it to Stephen Harper."

Crowder addressed the shortage of affordable child care in B.C. "If we do not invest in our children now," she said, "we will pay in the future."

Crowder's 35-year-old son has a two-month-old baby. "They've been looking for child care for months now," she said. "When parents go to work, they want to know that their child is in a safe, healthy environment."

Provincial NDP Child Care Critic Claire Trevena urged parents to take action by signing petitions.

"We need hundreds and hundreds of names demanding child care," she said. "It's your stories that are important."

She promised to keep challenging Linda Reid, B.C. Minister of State for Child Care, and Tom Christensen, B.C. Minister of Children and Family Development.

"We are not going away," said Rita Chudnovsky, a representative of the Coalition of Child Care Advocates of BC.

She urged parents this summer to talk to five people who don't already know about child care shortages. "Tell them what's going even if it's in the supermarket line-up or on the beach. Let them know what our goal is."

May is Child Care Month and the Coalition and the BC Government and Services Employees Union are joining with the Code Blue campaign to convince politicians to reverse the funding cuts.