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Day-care parents and operators are disappointed the province has backtracked on plans to make accreditation mandatory, arguing it's the only way to ensure quality care, safe buildings and fair wages for staff.
"All day cares should be accredited," said Pradnya Bhadane, who has kids aged two and six at Arbour Lake Day Care, an accredited centre in the city's northwest.
"It ensures that staff isn't always changing over, and that they are educated. They're always attending workshops so they can play with the kids better, so they can develop better."
Linrui Jiang agreed, adding her three-year-old son, Wade, loves day care because of the high quality staff who read to him everyday.
"I never imagined my son would love day care this much. He wants to go everyday, to play with his friends, to play with his teachers."
Last summer, after an unaccredited day care in Stony Plain was ordered to close for allegedly force-feeding and mistreating toddlers, Children and Youth Services Minister Yvonne Fritz said the province should work toward ensuring all day cares are accredited.
"We should have accreditation at 100 per cent," Fritz said last July after provincial investigators filed a reported against the Stony Day Care Centre.
The report included allegations children had been force-fed and humiliated for toileting accidents, leading to a closure order.
Accredited day cares receive a minimum of two surprise visits a year from provincial officials, who monitor the centre for up to two days. They ensure child-staff ratios are appropriate, staff are properly trained, children are developing well, and the building is safe and up to standards.
Day cares that get accreditation also receive additional funding from the province, allowing them to top up staff wages, provide them with extra training or purchase building or equipment upgrades.
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- reprinted from the Calgary Herald