EXCERPTS
In reaching out to Almaguin parents on the Canada Wide Early Learning and Child Care program, phasing in an average of $10 a day for child care, we contacted Helena Earl, who quickly said she is a running for a council seat in McMurrich/Monteith. To keep things fair, we sent each McMurrich/Monteith candidate the following question: “If elected, how could you and the township help address the child care needs within the township and beyond?” Here are the responses we received.
“I’m not sure how a municipality is involved with that program. I realize that it is a Federal program that the Ontario government is now participating in. That being said, I’m very much in favour of the entire program. From a municipal standpoint, we should do everything in our power to make this work for our residents.” — John Britten
“The child care issue is being handled by the appropriate people with the tax dollars to address the situation. To add more costs to the ratepayers for a program that they are already taxed for by the federal and provincial governments is not what I want to see our council do. I will encourage anyone who wants to start up a daycare facility in the township that will help the families in need of this service. We, as a township, may be able to help connect these people with the right contacts in the provincial government to answer any questions, problems or concerns that may arise in the startup of their business.” — Daniel O'Halloran
“… Once the new council is elected, I would like to come together and listen to the ideas we have brainstormed individually while reporting to you and collaboratively see what we can do to make it easier for our families to access $10/day child care. I believe that an information session provided from the ministry would be an asset to starting our journey with developing affordable child care for the smaller remote locations within the Parry Sound district. The number of attendees who participate in this information session will give us an idea of who might be interested in starting their own child care centre, or who are still needing child care …. I think our communities within the Parry Sound district could come together to develop a variety of strategies to encourage current qualified residents to start a centre, attract others to the community to start a centre or provide a grant that could support a local high school graduate to participate in a college/university program that can support owning/running a child care centre.” — Terry Currie.
“Right now, I have no idea where we’re lacking, but when things like this are brought up, then I’d have to look into this and find out what we are doing and why aren’t we doing more. I would look into this stuff.” — Gary Burgess