City tackles child-care questions; Stabilizing existing care and creating new spaces are key, surveys find
The Record (New Westminster)
May 3, 2008
By: Theresa McManus

The Royal City may want to increase the availability of child care, but it also needs to stabilize existing spaces.

As part of the process to update the city's child-care strategy, the city formed a child-care strategy task group in November 2007. The strategy's consultation process has included two questionnaires (one for parents, one for child-care operators) and a resource fair and forum held in February.

"Given the importance of licensed child care from a social and economic perspective; given the sustainability issues with regard to existing spaces; and given that the demand for licensed child care far outstrips supply, the city will have to consider new policies and tools if it wants to be a leader in this area and if it wants to start to address the supply-and-demand imbalance," said a staff report.

A recent staff report to council indicated that 423 parents had completed a child-care questionnaire, but the city continues to receive surveys.

"We are getting close to 500," said John Stark, senior social planner. "We are still getting them. It really resonates."

Stark told city council that the returned surveys represent the needs of about 720 children.

In addition to parents' surveys, 38 operators completed a separate survey for operators of child-care facilities, and more than 75 people attended the forum.

"Based on the consultation results to date, there are major concerns from both a supply and demand perspective," said a staff report. "Regarding supply, 45 per cent of child-care operators reported that their current building space does not meet their program's future needs, and 55 per cent of operators reported that their tenure arrangements are relatively insecure."

Of the operators who have expressed concern about their tenure arrangements, many are larger operators with more than 20 spaces. A number of them provide infant/toddler and out-of-school care, which have the longest waiting lists for placements.

Stark said it's "really concerning," the number of child-care spaces in New Westminster that are in locations with uncertain leasing arrangements or don't meet current licensing requirements. He said one local group daycare doesn't meet licensing requirements because children must go upstairs to go to the bathroom (when licensing requirements require bathrooms to be on the same floor), and another is in a church that's threatened to disband its congregation.

"They are getting to the bottom of the questions," said Coun. Bill Harper about the task force. "One of the first things they are recognizing is we have to work on stabilizing the existing child-care centres."

According to a staff report, 91 per cent of child-care operators reported that they are operating at or near capacity, with a similar percentage reporting that their program had a wait list.

Forty-one per cent of parents reported that they had experienced difficulty in finding a placement for their child in their current child-care arrangements, with 25 per cent reporting that it took more than seven months and 12 per cent reporting that it took more than one year.

"The consultation results are concerning as they suggest that there is no easy fix with regard to increasing the supply of licensed child-care spaces in New Westminster," said the report.

The report stated that, because of the "unstable nature of existing spaces" such as insecure leases, building deficiencies and staffing shortage, efforts will have to be made to stabilize existing spaces while creating new ones.

The report noted that the lack of licensed child care has economic implications because families with young children may be reluctant to move to the city. Businesses, too, may consider child care as part of their decisions on expansion and relocation because it's an issue that affects worker productivity.

Harper said he finds it very troublesome that the city could actually be in a situation where it is losing operators. He said the federal and provincial governments have "really dropped the ball" on the issue of daycare.

"Until they step up to the plate and really address the issue, the crisis is not going away," he said.

Stark said many daycare workers earn $10 to $15 an hour, so the field has constant turnover. The staff report stated that 90 per cent of child-care operators stated that it was very difficult to find suitable staff.

Coun. Lorrie Williams suggested the city should draft a resolution to the Union of B.C. Municipalities and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities asking the federal and provincial governments to increase funding for child care. She said "it's about time" they addressed the child-care crisis in Canada.

"I really would like to see New Westminster become a leader," she said. "It is so good for our city. ... I really think this is a big factor in attracting and retaining employees."

Council approved a motion to have staff draft resolutions for submission to the two municipal organizations, asking federal and provincial governments to begin work on child-care plans and to increase funding.

"We have got to continue to push the federal and provincial governments," said Coun. Calvin Donnelly. "These are very important people we are looking after - that's our children."