CDC to feel impact of new regs
Cariboo Press - Kitimat Northern Sentinel
February 20, 2008

The Child Development Centre (CDC) is trying to figure out how to deal with new class size regulations affecting its preschool and daycare programs.

The new law, passed last November, means preschool and daycare class sizes can be no more than 10 children per teacher, down from the previous 15.

But the CDC has until November this year to comply.

Child care workers aren't opposed to the new legislation which they say can allow for a better education for children, "But they need to back it with some money," said CDC preschool supervisor Christine Doherty.

She pointed out that if fees go up as a result of the change, it will hurt enrollment and ultimately cast doubt over the sustainability of the program itself.

Margaret Warcup, the CDC's executive director, said that limiting class size hurts the ability to pay the teachers a fair salary.

"Ten children per class makes it really hard to afford the qualifications of the teachers and pay them a fair salary," she explained, emphasizing, "We need qualified preschool educators."

Last November a province-wide early childhood education staffing survey found salary levels were a major difficulty in recruiting educators. Seventy- five per cent of survey respondents cited low wages and lack of benefits as the main issue in educator recruitment.

"If we can't offer them a good salary that recognizes the education they've had, then it's not fair for them," said Warcup.

Pointing out that there is a lot of preparation work that educators do on their own time, Doherty added, "If you're making $10 an hour, you don't want to do that. People who work at Tim Hortons can go home and not have to do their job at home on top of the time they've already spent."

Doherty said average preschool teacher salaries range from minimum wage to $15 an hour, although some places are able to pay better.

Warcup suggested the ideal solution would be to re-implement block funding - annual funding for licenced daycares to supplement parent fees - but it's been years since she's seen a block funding program.

The most obvious solution for the CDC would be to raise fees to cover the extra costs, but that can have repercussions.

"We're going to do a survey to see if we can raise our fees," said Warcup, "but parents can only afford so much."

Other ideas include running more classes at the centre. Having its own building works to CDC's advantage, minimizing administrative costs. But daycares and preschools can suffer where they're in separate buildings.

Warcup said a daycare is being proposed in the former Cormorant school and, while rent is no problem as the space is provided through the school district, the problem still remains having the funding for staff….