Forum outlines child care advocacy
The Powell River Peak
By: Maggie Cole
May 30, 2007

Political pressure is an important tool to ensure child care is affordable, accessible and of high quality, participants in Child Care Conversations were told.

The meeting, organized to air concerns and discern requirements, outlined a number of problem areas.

The event was held Thursday, May 24, and was attended by concerned parents, caregivers, community members, and guests, including: Powell River Mayor Stewart Alsgard, Powell River-Sunshine Coast MLA Nicholas Simons, and Tla'Amin (Sliammon) First Nation Chief Councillor Walter Paul. Sending regrets were Blair Wilson, MP for West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky Country, and Colin Palmer, Powell River Regional District chairman.

Applause of support echoed through the room for those who raised concerns about availability, responsibility, and most significantly, the current state of the Child Care Subsidy program. Robin Mitchell, of Kids Come First, voiced her frustration to the panel. In front of her on the table lay a large stack of papers that she said represented all of the families she has not received subsidy payments for, some of which go back nearly six months. She, like many other caregivers, is essentially providing a service for free.

Simons echoed Mitchell's concerns. "There is no other professional who would do this, no other who would even be expected to tolerate this," he said.

The other hot topic of the evening was--who is doing what about the child care crisis? When Alsgard informed the participants that the local government does not have authority on such matters, it came as a surprise to many. The mayor's statement raised the question that if nothing can be done about it within this community, then how can those concerned be sure their concerns are being forwarded to the provincial and federal governments, which have jurisdiction in child care matters?

Simons advised the participants to "get past the slogans, get past the clichés and demand that child care is a priority. Ask questions and inform your politicians."

Concerned parent Kirsty Reid agreed that more advocacy is required, and that everyone should advocate for child care whether it's a part of their daily lives or not. She said that before she became a parent, she was blind to issues relating to child care. She said she believes that the issues with child care affect everyone economically, and everyone needs to show concern. Alison Bledsoe, project coordinator for Understanding the Early Years, said, "these are the children who will be my caregivers and they need to know what compassion and nurturing is."

There was clear support for child care from the panel and agreement on all concerns was felt throughout the room.

A potential next step in finding answers and furthering advocacy lies in demanding attention from those who carry the jurisdictional responsibility to change what is not working for families, for caregivers, for children, and for the future. Simons made a strong and important statement when he said, "when you see success in politics it isn't because of the politicians, it's because the cause was great and the advocacy was strong. I am only one person." Paul and Alsgard reaffirmed this statement in saying that it's about the common good, and it's about trying to solve problems as a collective.