Coast Child Care Gets Boost
The Local (Sechelt)
Compiled By Linda White France

Last Saturday, Minister of State for Child Care Linda Reid announced that close to $120,000 in provincial funding had been allocated to support three new child care projects and 49 licensed spaces on the Sunshine Coast….

Tracey White of Sunshine Coast Child Care Resource and Referral Program commented about the funding, “Although the press release claims to create 49 licensed child care spaces, none of these spaces seem to be for children 1-3 years old, which is what we are in desperate need of here on the Sunshine Coast.” ….”One time only funding is okay, but we’d like to see a more on-going sustainable system. A system that provides all parents with a choice of quality child care, no matter the age of the child and a system that truly values child care providers.” 

Tracey Klein of the Halfmoon Bay Child care Society agreed that access is a problem; she stated that childcare spaces are at a crisis level on the Coast…..In terms of new funding, Klein said it is a step in the right direction, but she feels that a universal child care system is desperately needed. She said child care centres need to be supported by government so they can provide quality, affordable and accessible child care….