Child-care concerns focus of meeting
By Matthew Peterson
Castlegar News
April 23, 2008

Higher wages and constant funding was the theme at the meeting between NDP child-care critic, Claire Trevena, and child-care workers from the region.

Trevena spoke with a dozen child-care workers in Castlegar at Selkirk College on April 17.

“It becomes difficult. We spend a lot of our time and energy chasing after sporadic funds and can’t keep trained professionals because the pay is too low,” said a child-care worker.

Trevena explained the issue of underfunding staff has a big impact on the number of available spaces because trained professionals decide to leave the field in pursuit of higher-paying jobs.

Consensus at the meeting was facilities are capable of handling the large amounts of families waiting for spots, but the problem is they can’t keep trained professionals with low wages.

“I think child-care workers are frustrated. They want to provide high-quality affordable childcare, but are burnt out. They are dealing with having to pay low wages to their staff and turning parents away. I think they feel the community is being ignored by the government,” she said….

 “In the meantime, I can keep questioning the minister, raising the issue and questioning the availability of childcare. What people can do is raise the issue with the minister,” she said.

Trevena believes the province has good existing child-care facilities, but work needs to be done.

“We have to work together. We need to integrate a good mix of child care so people have a choice and we need to introduce more affordable programs.”...