Child care a big issue
Burnaby Now
May 09, 2009
BY: Manoj Dabir, Burnaby

Dear Editor:

As a voter, I am surprised that no candidate has brought up the issue of child-care costs.

With the high cost of living in Vancouver, both parents are required to work to maintain an average lifestyle, and therefore child care becomes a very important issue.

For the last three years, I have had my son enrolled at the Burnaby…, which houses a provincially funded licensed daycare. In 2008, …. received $448,000 from the provincial authority in grants and subsidies as per their report on their website.

However, rather than passing on the benefits to the community, the organization did the opposite; increased its monthly fees from $275 to $322 (for school care) since July 2008.

…. This year again, when our economy is facing its toughest challenge, the organization is increasing its summer fees from last year's fee of $850 to $1,224, without any options for parents to reduce costs. ….Under such situations, it is clear that the current system is failing to provide adequate and affordable child-care options to the community

I would like to ask the candidates:

- What can be done so that the tax dollars spent get a better bang for the buck?

- Do you have a plan that tackles this issue head-on?

- Does the province monitor and audit child-care facilities that are receiving provincial funding to make sure the benefits reach the community?

May the deserving candidate win and represent us to solve some these issues, because, if nothing is done, matters will only get worse.