Parents take City Kids' cause to council
Peace River Block Daily News
May 29, 2007
By: Joe Fries

Despite the impassioned pleas of three people who asked city council yesterday to reconsider its decision to close City Kids Daycare in one month, Mayor Calvin Kruk pledged only an invitation to further discussion.

The city-operated day care facility, which services nearly 30 families, is scheduled to close its doors June 29. City officials cited a variety of factors in the decision, including difficulty finding staff, a rapidly decaying building and an expected operating loss of $125,000 this year.

It's unique, in that it operates for 11 hours per day, until 6 p.m.

When parents were notified at the end of April, it was suggested they take their kids to the ... Childcare Centre, which had enough space to facilitate all those displaced by the closure of City Kids. Since then, however, all of ... spaces have been filled.

A group of concerned parents who use City Kids presented council with a report that indicated there are no day care spaces available anywhere in the city.

"When City Kids closes, we are stuck, there's nowhere to go," said Allan Van Tassell, spokesman for a group of concerned parents who use City Kids.

That's the point he was hoping to get across to city council. It remains to be seen if the message will give City Kids new life.

"When we made the decision, there were spaces reported in other day care facilities," Kruk said afterwards. "When we had to make that tough decision, we made it on the facts that were available at that time."

The decision was made during budget discussions, he added. When asked by a reporter if the door was still open to reconsider the closure, Kruk was non-committal.

"I think we need to continue the dialogue," he replied.

What form that dialogue may take is still a little nebulous.

"I would expect that staff will have some time over the next couple of weeks to get some additional information in place," Kruk said.

Van Tassell said he was "disappointed" with the outcome of the meeting

"I was hoping for (them to say), 'Yes, we're going to take another look at this and go through it."

Also appearing before council Monday was the president of CUPE Local 2403, which represents City Kids workers. He was joined by one such staff member.

Union head John Enever said he was "aghast" and "outraged" when he learned of the decision to close the day care. He was upset that the decision was made with no public consultation.

Kruk, however, said, "I think that the discussion has always been above board. I think that it has been a struggle over the past five years."

Enever said "the lack of respect council has shown families... speaks volumes," and asked the city to "stand up for families.

The mayor noted that the city is not in the business of providing child care or competing with private business, but City Kids employee Debbie Withrow said that "money invested in children is money invested in the economy."

An employee there for nine years, Withrow said the closure will make it difficult to attract new families - and more importantly, skilled labour - to the city. She then invited council to a public rally in support of City Kids at the facility this Sunday afternoon Kruk, for one, won't be there - he has a previous commitment to attend Federation of Canadian Municipalities meetings in Calgary.

Director of parks and recreation Rob Bremner told the PRBN that seven families are currently using City Kids' services on a full-time basis. Another 21 use it part time. The day care employs four casual employees, he said, and he expects the City will find them work elsewhere. Being casual workers though, nothing is, or was, guaranteed.

CUPE Local 2403 negotiated a new contract, which included wage increases, for City Kids staff in January.