Child-care experts to speak at forum
Prince George Citizen
January 10, 2008
By: Bernice Trick

Just about everything you want to know about child care in Prince George will be discussed during an upcoming forum featuring six speakers.

A Child Care Forum hosted by the Canadian Federation of University Women will be held at 10 a.m. Jan. 19….

The focus will be on what is needed in the community and how businesses can benefit from investing in child-care programs.

"As an advocacy group with child care policies, our hope is to raise community awareness around current challenges in finding quality child care," said Mary Anne Munk, forum co-ordinator with the CFUW.

"We also want to encourage incoming governments to support best health and development outcomes with continued resourcing and support for quality child care. We know the first five years of a child's life builds the foundation for future success and health."

She noted that when Alcan set up a day care with tutors, "both productivity and production quality increased while the stress of employees decreased."

"Businesses have to get involved by lobbying government or supporting parents because it impacts their bottom line," added Donna Brundige, CFUW past president.

"Studies have shown that countries that offer this kind of support are much better off when it comes to the status of health, education and productivity."

There is no charge to attend the forum except the cost of brunch for those who wish to have it prior to 10 a.m.

Speakers, to be followed by a question and answer period, are:

- Kathy Basaraba from Children First on the impact of quality early childhood years.

- Gail Mason from Child Care Resource and Referral Centre on different types of child care available and what's lacking in Prince George.

- Cindy Gosnell from Native Friendship Centre on different needs of aboriginal children.

- Sherry Sethen from Prince George Chamber of Commerce on the economic impacts of available child care, or lack of it.

- Alcan representative on its response to a child care crisis.

- Denise Marshall from Early Childhood Educators for B.C. on current child care funding mechanisms.

CFUW is a non-partisan, non-profit, self-funded bilingual organization across Canada, and is connected to the International Federation of University Women founded in 1919 with chapters in Britain, Canada and the U.S. Today the organization spreads across 82 countries.

"Our mandate is to advocate for education and improve the status of women and girls. We concern ourselves with environmental issues, justice for all, like equal pay for equal work, and access to education," said Brundige….