Teddy Bear parents, officials to meet tonight: Petition opposes daycare closure
By Jennifer Miller
Whistler Question
April 10, 2008

Parents whose children attend the Teddy Bear Daycare in Millennium Place are hoping to get some concrete answers this week about why the daycare is closing in June, and what the space will be used for.

Parents and teachers at the daycare are meeting with the Millennium Place board of directors…

A petition to keep the Village daycare open is still circulating. It has more than 400 signatures from parents, business owners and other residents, said Jennifer Abbott, who started the petition. Abbott’s three-year-old daughter has attended Teddy Bear Daycare since the day she reached the 30-month age requirement.

So far there have only been vague indications of what the space will be used for when the daycare is closed, with talk of a temporary home for the Whistler Arts Council or the Whistler Museum, she said.

“We want an honest answer as to why the facility’s being closed,” Abbott said. “We all appreciate arts and culture in Whistler, but we feel that fundamentally a daycare that’s already in existence is the best usage of that space.”

… While discussing a letter from another concerned parent, Bea Gonzalez, at Monday’s (April 7) Council meeting, Councillor Ralph Forsyth acknowledged there are “issues” surrounding child care in Whistler. His wife has been trying for four months to get some care days in May, he said.

Forsyth said he plans to attend tonight’s meeting and that he thinks cooperative solutions can be found. “We need to realize that child care is everyone’s business,” he said.

Meanwhile, a new daycare is set to open next week in the Hilton Whistler Resort. Whistler Daycare, run by U.K.-based tour operator… , was originally intended exclusively for visitor use, but with Teddy Bear set to close, the decision was made to open the centre to Whistler residents, said Gabrielle Livsey, centre manager.

Though the facility’s current licence only allows for occasional care, the intent is to pursue a licence to offer ongoing care and apply for government child-care funding with the group licence, ….

…. “A choice is being taken away from the parents. We all chose Teddy Bear because it worked best for our families.”