WHEN the Cedardale Learning Centre closed its doors, the number of daycare spaces in West Vancouver dropped to below 200.

And the number could drop even lower, to around 100, said Joanne McKenna of the Childcare Services Working Group, with more daycares facing closures.

On the other hand, the number of West Vancouver children under five is at a healthy 2,300 -- more than ten times the number of daycare spaces available.

The numbers point to an abysmal trend in childcare. On the North Shore, with 85 per cent of fathers and 65 per cent of mothers working, the need for affordable childcare in West Vancouver is urgent.

There is a solution to the daycare crunch, the working group told West Vancouver council in a report Nov. 19.

A survey of North Shore parents and childcare providers undertaken by Denise Buote, acting research director for UBC's Faculty of Medicine, found that parents were primarily concerned with fee increases and longer waitlists.

Among a list of recommendations, Buote suggested a "hub" model for childcare, which the researcher said is being implemented effectively in other Canadian cities.

The model would divide municipalities into childcare regions with a centralized system and an advisory committee for each region.

Buote also recommended working with the Ministry of Education and the school districts to incorporate childcare into schools…

Another recommendation debated by council was to host a community forum in 2008 on the possibility of changing the zoning bylaw to allow up to 16 children in single family homes of a certain size.

Most councillors supported the recommendations, particularly Coun. Michael Smith who voiced concerns that "early age children have flown under the radar screen."

Coun. Jean Ferguson pointed to the lack of adequate and affordable childcare as one of the potential reasons why younger families tend to drift away from West Vancouver.

Coun. Vivian Vaughan was the only member of council who voted against the recommendations, voicing concerns over the recommendation to rezone single family housing to allow for care of up to 16 children at a time.