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MLA: Listen to child care voices [CA-BC]

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Letter to the Editor
Author: 
Campbell, Linda
Format: 
Article
Publication Date: 
27 Jan 2007
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EXCERPTS

As many of you many know by now, the provincial government has announced further cuts to childcare in British Columbia, with the elimination of the Childcare Resource and Referral Services.

This is the lifeblood of family and registered non-licensed daycares throughout the province. They provide low cost mandatory training, toy lending libraries, referrals, support, screening of centres, drop-in playgroups to caregivers and parents taking care of our most important resource (next to trees, of course), our children.

As of Sept. 30th, all CCRR programs in B.C. will be eliminated. This is a huge story as it will affect all children, as well as their parents and caregivers in so many ways.

In the last year the government has spent millions investing in these programs, just to throw them away.

In our town, just doing a phone around to gather people for an information meeting, I've had four people tell me that they are closing their centres as a result of this.

The caregivers in Mission, along with a letter writing campaign are putting together a paper chain with each link representing each child, parent, caregiver (and their family members) that will be affected by these cutbacks.

We will be laying it out as a visual reminder to our MLA, Randy Hawes, as to what this decision means to just our area alone. This will be happening on Feb. 3rd at 1 p.m. on First Avenue (Lougheed Highway) in Mission.

We need the government to hear our voices.

- reprinted from the Maple Ridge New