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Letters to UBC President re: UBC child care and Kids and Company

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Author: 
Coalition of Child Care Advocates of BC
Format: 
Article
Publication Date: 
1 Dec 2010

Excerpt from CCABC's letter:

We are writing to express our alarm and concern that the University of British Columbia has entered into a contract with Kids and Company to provide off-campus child care services for the UBC community. While we understand that the demand for child care continues to outpace the significant growth of UBC's own services, we urge you to consider the long-term ramifications of the decision you have made to financially support and, in essence, promote the expansion of commercial child care in BC.

Excerpt from UBC's letter:

We agree that it is critical that we not lessen our commitment to expanding capacity on campus through Child Care Services (more centres are opening next year), and planning is underway to address future expansion. But, in our view, UBC cannot focus on only one solution to this pressing and immediate issue, as we cannot meet the need as a publicly funded academic institution, nor is it the right solution for some parents.

Excerpt from CCABC's response:

We remain alarmed that UBC defends its support of Kids and Company as a measure to 'simply provide (parents) with another option if it worked for them.' This rationale ignores the serious implications of a credible organization like UBC using public funds to support corporate, for-profit child care as a viable solution to BC's child care crisis. We continue to urge UBC to rethink this decision.