Parents rally to save daycare; School district says it needs the space for other programs
Coquitlam Now
May 15, 2009
By: Jennifer McFee

… But the after-school excitement revved higher than usual at Mundy Road Elementary on May 8, when a group of parents picked up picket signs saying "Save Our Daycare" and marched to the front of the school for a last-minute protest.

Cars honked and motorists hollered as about 50 people rallied at the corner of Austin Avenue and Mundy Road. The concerned crew spoke out against a school district decision to oust an in-house daycare.

The previous day, School District 43 sent home a letter stating it is unable to renew the lease for … Childcare, an independent business housed within the school for more than a decade.

Instead, the space will be used for a StrongStart Early Literacy Centre, a government-funded program for preschool-aged children and their families.

Coquitlam Open Learning will also gain a spot at Mundy Road, since it has outgrown its current quarters…. The program offers self-paced learning for kindergarten to Grade 9 students.

But the protesting parents believe these plans will strip the community of a much-needed child-minding service. More than 50 families will be left in the lurch as they scramble to make alternative before- and after-school arrangements before the Aug. 15 closure date.

These changes are too much for Teri Towner, a mother who worries about where she will find flexible daycare service for her children while she works three days per week.

"I don't think this has been very well thought out. This is an essential service for the community that uses it. It's comforting to know that when you drop your child off in the morning, they're in a safe, secure, stimulating, caring environment," said Towner, noting that the school must also share its principal with R.C. MacDonald Elementary starting September to help bridge district budget shortfalls.

"I don't work for fun. I work because I have to. I'm fortunate that I only work part time, but I can't afford to pay someone full-time daycare when I only need part-time coverage."

Like Towner, Franca Madonna said she doesn't know what she will do without the daycare services for her son, who is in Grade 1.

"I don't understand why they would get rid of a necessity such as a daycare. …."This is nothing against the school. We certainly have a great respect for the teachers and the principal. But there's a lot of people that rely on this. You're taking so much security away from these kids. It really baffles me to know that this is happening."

…. "It's a community issue for these kids. Your children are your priorities. People don't take it lightheartedly looking for daycare. …. To respond to community concerns, assistant superintendent Dan Derpak hosted an information meeting Monday night at the school.

He explained that school-based daycares operate on one-year leases, while businesses in portables carry three-year contracts. He stressed, however, that district programs must remain the priority at all schools.

"We reserve the right to take the space back as our needs change. It's never easy to take back, but that's the position that we're in."

At the end of the two-and-a-half-hour meeting, Derpak told parents he would spend a week examining alternative options for both the district programs and the daycare….