Liberal minister negligent on childcare
Vancouver Courier
August 26, 2009
Sharon Gregson, trustee, Vancouver School Board

To the editor:

Re: "Children best investment for future," Letters, Aug. 14.

Clearly Mary Polak, the very new minister of children and family development and minister responsible for child care, has figured her best defence is a good offence as she tries to convince us that her government spends kazillions of dollars on kids in B.C.

I wish it were true, but sadly her rhetoric is nothing more than spin-doctoring. The reality is that our provincial government is not putting kids first. It is that simple.

Sure they throw some funding at subsidy for low-income parents and they have meagre operating grants for those providing daycare services. But compared to other provinces, our government is negligent as they have reduced provincial spending on daycare since first elected.

Parents can now look forward to daycare spaces that cost them $1,500 a month. I wish the minister would explain how the average family in B.C. can afford that--or perhaps only rich people should have kids in B.C.