Plan needed for education
Terrace Standard
November 24, 2009

Letter to Premier Gordon Campbell
By Terry Walker, Johanna Payjack, Early Childhood Educators, Terrace Branch

Dear Sir:

The Early Childhood Educators of BC writes to you today to outline concerns we have with the state of public policy and spending on programs for children in B.C. While we are more than aware of the deficit facing the taxpayers of B.C. and the challenges your government faces financially, nonetheless, we believe that some of the choices being made are detrimental to children’s health and B.C.’s family wellbeing.

While $300 million per year is spent on childcare in B.C., $200 million are a direct subsidy to low income families.

We know this funding is important for low income families.

However it does not build a system, increase spaces to combat wait lists nor does it make child care affordable for families.

Wait lists are at crisis proportions in this province while early childhood educators are leaving the field as they cannot afford to make a living wage in the profession.

Minor capital grants for child care centres have been decreased from $5,000 per program per year to $2,000 per address per year….

All of these decreases and changes will impact programs’ ability to operate and parent fees will increase once again….

How will you ensure that children with special needs will received specialized attention and service without the expertise of these important programs?

Finally, and most disturbing, for six years in a row, BC has recorded the highest child poverty rates in Canada.

How could you have allowed this to happen?

BC needs a comprehensive poverty reduction plan which must include the building of a quality, affordable child care system.

What are your immediate plans to address this situation? What is your plan to address the child care crisis in BC?

The lack of a plan for early child care and learning is simply unacceptable.

While we understand the Ministry of Children and Family Development has completed their early years plan, it has not been shared publicly and therefore we are left in the dark as to the direction government plans to take regarding our young children….

Under the Ministry of Education, the development of an all-day kindergarten is a step in the right direction, but we are now increasingly alarmed that adequate planning and resources have not been directed to its development….

While we understand there will be a need for early childhood educations, the dearth of information and consultation is disconcerting.

What is the plan for all day kindergarten? How will working parents be supported to have their children in all day kindergarten?