StrongStart - it's free and fun
The Record - New Westminster
January 16, 2008
By: Niki Hope

One out of four B.C. kindergarten students is not developmentally ready to start school, according to Education Minister Shirley Bond.

As a result, the provincial government introduced StrongStart B.C., an early learning program for preschool-aged children that promotes literacy and structured play.

New Westminster is now one of roughly 80 school districts in the province that will have a StrongStart early learning centre.

StrongStart is a free, drop-in program for children up to age five and their parents or caregivers. The centre, which is run by early learning educators, offers activities such as stories, music and crafts to help children develop language, social skills and creativity.

While the program meets the educational needs of some children in the community, it doesn't help every family, according to the Coalition of Childcare Advocates of B.C.

The province is spending millions of dollars to fund the StrongStart program, but it hasn't helped offset the enormous cost of child care for many parents, said Crystal Janes, a member of the coalition.

"It's a real challenge to make ends meet," said Janes, whose daughter attends daycare.

"There are wonderful early learning programs all over the province that already exist. We need more child-care spaces, more accessible child care and recruitment and retention of staff. ... We are frustrated with the approach and lack of commitment to working families."

On its website, the coalition states that to even the playing field for children in daycare, the province should eliminate rental charges for licensed non-profit child care in public schools and provide the same number of 'free hours' of early learning experiences for children in licensed child care as is available through StrongStart.

Responding to the concerns raised by the coalition, Minister Bond said StrongStart isn't about competitive services.

"(It's) about providing choice," she said….

The centre will also act as a learning facility for parents, who can do some of the activities at home to further help with their child's development, Grant said….