Provincial licensing ensures quality
Times Colonist (Victoria)
02 Nov 2007
Letters by: Richard S. Stanwick, chief medical health officer, Vancouver Island
Health Authority.

Re: "Child-care centres should stay open," Oct. 31

Early-childhood educators and infant and toddler educators have secured the training to work with young children and it should not be discounted. It is critical to optimize a child's early years when knowledge acquisition is at its peak. Missing key development milestones can have significant consequences.

The Community Care and Assisted Living Act and child care licensing regulations governing daycare operations appreciate this vulnerability. Not only are health and safety protected but also nurturing emphasized. Compromising a quality experience for convenience is unconscionable.

VIHA licensing is tasked under legislation to oversee licensed child-care facilities. Fernwood Infant and Toddler Care provides care to 20 children under the age of 36 months. The children's needs are complex and demanding. Previous exemptions for this centre have been approved, as they posed no increased risk to health and safety for children.

At no point has VIHA suggested the day care needs to close. Neither have we refused to work with them or threatened to levy fines. We will continue to work with this centre on their outstanding staffing issues. We have had recent discussions with the operator and will continue to monitor this daycare.

As with other health-care professions, daycare is not immune to issues of training, recruitment and retention.