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A2 - The Canadian Champion, Tuesday, May 22, 2007 --~Parents desperate for childcare spaces: panel "You can hear the anxiety in the-ir voices," says daycare operator l assi akiing t cople of su r oethe las By Andrew Fruch waitng ltfrteifnt nrg ,a welaa waitng lifrcuple wks had ohepeol a,\( elahl i SPECIAL TO THE CHAMPION tddlrp ogais lke stpng stne, ad Pie -An n otnaey "Yucn lcrteaxcyn lcr(aet)vie Isad becuc 'tr wges pl r cihe inv n wthin FoFr rin prntkoîouggciarii, cis t qaty Piicghl(oietpon cls adSIrns rccnître. hndstdh s gid dan ppngt wrw fr hpplui chldcar is a to pcnceri Butwt apîwii ipi i e hvehci wd li cr herbbyi 2 nhsod scolboran hn on o i ohrstfarctkn ofspae in childcan. fciliiead pi e tag tiîat i ily adterccdyogohc owrk, ad thydon no cureinpgansnt(al ctd.Suiruaeyp i o high for low-incomne families, mny parents are. hnding it Wha they goig odo.p Dlnil dae nr abg dtri hta wl stebn next to impossible to place tii r childre i n ' imuch- ntcded Many jus an' afford D it h A paoimnl ofe bilcar oxprt gaîhtrcc aitt Parkview day $o55is hiriyo h per chl ah For inany, il not ail, of the parents and ECE personnel, the A ae fcidaeeprsgtee ttePaIiw dy o-liiista eyo h taxable governmenrit an-swer to chidcare wonld bc ihe creation of a national chîld- Chiidrens Centre in Boriington earlier ibis monih ti dîscuss cheques oi $ 100 a monitb per cbîld, tbey wtîuld not be able tare prograrn. the challenges of providing quality chideare in ialton and to send their cbdld io a centre lîke Parkvîew, even il a space Oakville MPP Kevîn Flynn attended the session and dis- the province. openied tip. cussed ways io make boîh lederal and provincial govern- "There are about (),000 cbildren in Flton wbo are wait- Another concern for cbildcare is a bîgb enîployee ments lîsten to the needs of parents and workers. îng for childeare prugrams,' saîd Sharon Pîrie of the turnover rate. Farly Chîldbood Educators (ECE) receive no "People tbînk that chîldcare bas lalien off the politcal Parkview Cbiidrens Centre. "There is also about 225 chil benebits at mosi centres and sonie receise only minimum radar,' saîd Flynn. "And to be bonest, i tbînk it bas. Other dren witb speciai needs wbtî are nul receîving services." wage. This had led many FCF personnel to mnove on to bei- issues bave kind of risen to the top. For a wbiie there, for pre- At Parkview alune, there are about 150 families un the ter paying empioymn'teietber in the education field tor di cbous few years or montbs, 1 tbougbt we were going to get a national chîldeare plan and that excîted me. Fven tbuugb i wasn'1t gtiing partake in that, 1 was boping my grandcbildren would.' Accordîng to Flynn. n0W i5 the tîme fo r those wîtb an inieresi in cbîldcare Io soice their concernis 'We're goîng îo a lîxed ierrn ol- governrmeni at the provin- cial level. We know there will be an eleciion every four years. WIEI ir '-_Su if cbildcare is your issue, beiween now and Otober, you need to let peuple wbo want your soie know ibis is your issue and you want sometbîng done on this.- Canada lags behind one Candlley of the Code Blue Campaîgn for Chîld Care was on înc o comment on the curreni faîlîngs in the gover- "Canada is at the bcttom uf the 40 industrîalized nations -in terms of chîldeare spending.' Colley said the govemrment bas failed to meet its promise of 125,000 new spaces in ebildcare, and the Universai Cbîld -Care Plan, whîcb sends out the $ 100 cheques is hugely insuf- "if you don't base a national nton-profit svstem, you are in P Fxecuîîve Direcior of the Ontario Coalition lor Better Cbild (are (OC BC C), Flizabeth Ablett, voîced ber concernis fb cài M a woser tbe lack of new iundîng promised by the prov incial gov- ernmieni. Premier McGciinty promnised $350 million iii spendîîîg - , ftir cbildcare," sai Ableti. -Only $25 million in new fuanding was included in the last provincial budget. 'lite cîîy of Toronîto iîeeds $35 millîcon îust îo maîntaîîî their curreni lesel tif services.' Ableii also saîd Onitario receised $100 millicon froni the federal gos'erîîmieît to be used on chlîdcare, but tlîat ihere -~~ was no nmention tif thai $ 100 mîillioni in the budget. Iii respoiîse îo ibai, the OCBC C lias organized a Iciter lax- îng canijaigu io Finance Mînîsier Greg Sorbara. i brougli the course of- the session at Parkviev, it ssas es i dent ail the lactions present believe an oserbaul of the chîld- tare svsteîîî is desperaîely needed bith proic ' f tothe- z country. For more inftornmatîcon on chîldcr in bh prvne si f. 'the OCBC C websîte at ww.clîildcaeiti.r brth Code Bine Camrpaigiî websîte at svwwbuildchlcb ec Anniversary contest Ideadlines extended The deacU ne for two chool cntet corn enrng Miltons l5Oth anîîî trsary hase bee etnded. Now, entries in tht Towîîs Miii the Miltnc stry writ îng contest aîîd the Milton HistoiaScet-psr boad Call tudailcontesi wîll bc accepted untîl I rida lune1 Wbîlc winncîs wvIll be recogn zd a ndivdas d rz fu %jou wîll be awardei to lassroms t n motn n ha entr are stîbmîttcd tbrough schb Is - FR E E ~Prîzes include pizza parties, ii r awad d d ii SSS from Mîlly tue Mîlîstone, the offica maso fo h 50tb vui3ýiàhtanniversary4 For mure detaîls on the contests al (905) 878-2, 2x 2187, or vîsit w .mîlton.ca, selc bh 150th annivrary l.a ncioe.'shooL Go.uGts&sý.-ý.....