Chilliwack-Kent NDP candidate Kelli Paddon is hailing her party’s plan to invest in childcare and education, saying a plan to expand $10-a-day daycare will save Chilliwack families thousands of dollars.
Paddon and Chilliwack candidate Dan Coulter offered their thoughts on the NDP platform that was released this week.
“This election is about who you trust to look out for you and your family as our community recovers from the pandemic,” Paddon said in a news release. “As a working mother of two, I’m pleased to see increased investments in childcare and education in a way that understands the needs of Chilliwack residents.”
“Here in Chilliwack, childcare is one of the biggest expenses,” Coulter added. “Families often pay thousands of dollars for this and it’s putting the squeeze on them. The BC Liberals didn’t even recognize it as an issue, but with John Horgan and the BC NDP, over 350 childcare spaces in Chilliwack have been approved already at $10-a-day and now we’ll expand it even more.”
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Another NDP promise that may be relevant to Chilliwackians is a pledge to create food programs in Chilliwack schools. Paddon said there is a huge opportunity to add value to a school food program by using veggies that are grown in our own backyard.
“We produce some of the best food in the world here in Chilliwack and we should showcase it,” she said. “With this local food program in schools, not only are we ensuring that our kids don’t start school hungry, we will also be highlighting local produce grown here in the Fraser Valley.”
With the COVID-19 pandemic raging on, the NDP is promising a $1,000 recovery benefit. Coulter suggested that could be huge for Chilliwack families that have taken financial hits the last few months.
“Chilliwack is not immune to the impacts of COVID-19 on our families and our economy,” Coulter said. “We need to make sure we can get through this together and the COVID-19 recovery benefits of $1000 for families will provide much needed relief.”
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