Forsyth to keep fighting for childcare spaces: Demand for spaces will continue to grow, but numbers decreasing
Whistler Pique newsmagazine
By Andrew Mitchell
2009-03-25

Ralph Forsyth is still not sure why he had trouble convincing enough of his fellow councillors to vote for a motion to negotiate with third party operators to keep the Teddy Bear Daycare open past May 31, but he feels as strongly about the issue as he did when he walked out of the March 17 council meeting.

"I've never been so frustrated, and not just since I've joined council, but ever," he said. "This is something that's completely in our control to help. We can't fix the feds' handling of daycare or our issues with the province - although (MLA) Joan (McIntyre) has been helpful and some regulatory changes could be made so the licencing office is not so harsh... but this is something that the municipality can do. It's a municipally-owned asset, and we can say, 'rent it out long-term.'"

Whistler Blackcomb is currently operating the Teddy Bear daycare in Maurice Young Millennium Place, and will cease operations on May 31, one month before the lease with the MY Millennium Place Society expires. Given that schedule and the fact that it could take weeks to discuss leasing arrangements with a third party operator, Forsyth says council doesn't have any time to lose.

"We've got just over 60 days until we lose this space forever," he said. "How does anybody need more time. We've received both reports, and it was time to make a decision."

Enrolment numbers are down at Teddy Bear Daycare, which Whistler Blackcomb says is partly the result of the impending decision to close the centre - parents won't register their kids for programs without a guarantee that the programs will still be there in the future.

At the heart of the conflict are two reports: One that supports the use of Millennium Place as a centre for the arts community and closing the daycare, and the draft Childcare Needs Assessment Report tabled at the last council meeting before Forsyth's motion.

"We have two conflicting reports. I have read them both closely, and I can say that the daycare report seems simple to me and says we should keep the daycare open. The other report says to close the daycare. It doesn't say what else should go in there, or where the money is going to come from. There's no line item... it just says close the daycare."

The Teddy Bear Daycare closure would be the second daycare closure in three months, following the closure of the Spring Creek campus of the Whistler Children's Centre on Feb. 27. At the same time, the list of parents looking for full or part-time childcare has continued to grow, with almost 100 children on the waitlist to get into the programs at Nesters.

Once those spaces at Millennium Place are taken away, as well as the child-friendly features like smaller sinks and toilets, they are never coming back, Forsyth says.

"Once it's gone it's gone," he said. "And how are we going to build new stuff? The (needs assessment) report says that in 2020 we'll have 14,000 residents and the need for 150 more daycare spaces - where are they going to come from?"

While Forsyth regrets walking out of the council meeting, he says he has received nothing but positive feedback from the community and encouragement to keep fighting for the spaces.

"People are outraged and they're glad to have somebody as outraged as they are," he said. "It's like the temporary housing thing, child care has to be at the top of every council agenda until it's fixed. We can't let it turn to apathy. There's a flash of anger every time a daycare closes, and then everyone calms down. I would rather see hostility because it shows that people still care."….

Stephanie Smith, chair of the board at Whistler Children's Centre, says they will be briefed on the needs assessment report by Roger Weetman, manager of recreation services for the municipality, next week and will look at ways to incorporate it into their long-term strategies. It many ways it confirms what they already knew, she said - families need spaces, that the number of spaces needs to increase to meet future growth, and finding certified staff is a growing challenge.

According to the report, which will be posted on the municipal website (www.whistler.ca):

• There are 872 children under the age of 12 in Whistler, and only enough daycare spaces for 18 per cent of those children. That's higher than the provincial average of 14 per cent, but the survey was not clear whether the 18 per cent includes the daycare spaces lost at Spring Creek, or that might be lost at Teddy Bear Daycare.

• By 2020 there could be 14,000 people living in Whistler, with roughly 1,316 children. To meet the additional demand, Whistler would require an addition 140 spaces for infants and toddlers, 32 additional spaces for group daycare, and 53 additional spaces for school-aged children.

• Employee housing projects at Rainblow, Fitzsimmons Walk and the athletes' village are zoned to include daycares, but no daycare construction is currently planned.

• The majority of survey respondents - 41 per cent of 117 parents with childcare and 58 parents seeking childcare - require full time childcare services, and 38 per cent require part-time. Almost 86 per cent require that care year-round. Most respondents would prefer to see childcare in the village, followed closely by Spring Creek and Alpine subdivisions. As well, 84.4 per cent need infant/toddler care up to age three.

• Of the 117 families with care, 36 are seeking additional care.

• The average Whistler family pays roughly $600 per month, per child for daycare, representing approximately 15 per cent of family income.

• Wages for daycare workers decreased from $13.28 to $12.58 per hour from 2001 to 2006. At the same time, the average family's annual daycare bill is more than $672 higher than it was in 2001.

• The federal government is likely the root of the problem. In March 2007 the federal government terminated the Early Learning and Child Care agreement, which would have put $455 million into B.C. childcare over three years. The replacement program, the Universal Child Care Benefit, instead gives parents $100 per month per child to purchase daycare, but only $78 million was directed towards B.C. families in the 2008-09 fiscal year. By way of comparison, federal contributions to B.C. daycare were $125.6 million in 2006, compared to $79.7 million in 2008.

• Canada ranked last among 25 developed countries (tied with Ireland) in childcare efficacy according to the UN Children's Fund - and that's with Quebec's example, where more than 70 per cent of children are enrolled in childcare for $7 per day.

• Survey respondents said the lack of daycare is placing stress on families, forcing spouses to work different shifts, give up income, and spend more money on alternatives.

The majority of respondents were concerned primarily about the number of spaces available, and secondly by the high cost of childcare. Availability and cost were also recognized as the primary barriers to finding childcare.