Child Care Tough to Find
Ladysmith Chronicle
By Erin DeCoste
August 31, 2010

Leaves rustling, a cool breeze and back-to-school shopping all herald the end of summer — and a parent’s need to find child care.

The struggle to find spaces for children in daycares in the Cowichan Valley is now more difficult.

“We have an aging population, not an increase in children needing care,” explained Linden Collette, acting executive director at Social Planning Cowichan. “However, there’s a continuing decrease in child care centres in the region, therefore spaces are closing.”

The Cowichan Child Care Council, under Social Planning Cowichan, released new statistics showing a loss of 538 childcare spaces over the last three years.

The statistics show that in 2010, 4,860 children aged 0-12 will require care in the Cowichan Valley.

In Chemainus, the Boys and Girls’ Club is full for September.

Patti Frederickson, the program manager, said she’s heard from parents how hard it is to find childcare.

The Cowichan Valley is only able to provide 37 per cent of required spaces and the hardest hit are preschool and out-of-school care spaces, according to the Cowichan Child Care Council.Over at the Ladysmith Boys and Girls’ Club, the staff are preparing for a move to a new facility….

 “A lot of current providers have waitlists.”…

“A lot of families have given me feedback that finding care in Ladysmith is very difficult,” she said, adding that, “many commute to Duncan or Nanaimo.”

Collette agrees.

“I’m hearing anecdotally some parents are just not working and they’re staying home,” she said. “For some families that might be a viable option but for some it’s an economic hardship.”

She said with the dearth of qualified Early Childhood Educators in the region and the high cost of child care, there’s just not many options.

“Single parents or families with a lower income, are not able to pay for childcare and sometimes don’t have family members to watch the kids,” she explained….