Lets Make It Happen
April 14, 2008
BCGEU

The Canadian Press reports that "the number of new regulated child care spaces being opened in Canada has dropped by thousands since the Conservatives took power and gutted a $5-billion Liberal funding plan."

CP cites a new report released April 10 by the Childcare Resource and Research Unit that shows the rate of growth in child care spaces has slowed in recent years.

The report shows the number of new spaces created in 2007 was only half of what the annual increases were just a few years ago.

The Conservatives' policies are having a negative effect on child care growth at a time when there is intense demand and long waiting lists.

The Conservatives scrapped national child care system funding and instead brought in payouts to parents of $100 a month before taxes. Since then, the rate of growth in child care spaces has slowed dramatically.

"The Conservatives said their $100/month plan would bring parents choice. It hasn't worked. This latest report is the proof their policies don't deliver," says BCGEU president George Heyman.

"To see this kind of slowdown in space creation is quite alarming. We've said all along that the best way to provide choice is to properly fund a child care system so that there is something for parents to actually choose from.

"A hundred dollars might feel good in some people's pockets, but it doesn't do you any good if your child is still on a waiting list."

The report shows there are only 82,386 regulated group and family child care spaces in all of BC.

This does not even come close to providing coverage for everyone looking for a space in BC. It is difficult to determine exactly how many children need spaces, but Statistics Canada estimates there are over 689,000 children under age fifteen in British Columbia, and 210,000 of these children are under age five.

This leaves many parents without real choices.

Even local chambers of commerce are speaking out on the issue of child care shortages, arguing that child care is both a social issue and a business issue.

Tom Thomson, executive director of the Nelson and District Chamber of Commerce, was quoted in the Kootenay Western Star earlier this month saying "if an area does not have adequate child care and both parents want to work, then they have no choice other than for one to stay at home."

Heyman says, "Instead of simply trying to buy off parents with monthly cheques, the government needs to actively address the problems. This means having a real plan to lower parent fees, raise child care worker wages, and create more child care spaces."

The BCGEU has united with the Coalition of Child Care Advocates of BC in advocating an Affordable, Accountable, Achievable child care plan …