Editor:
Re: Fiction and falsehoods, March 14 editorial.
In response to comments regarding the 10-day childcare plan in your editorial, I offer this response.
The plan was written knowing it would take seven to 10 years to roll out the full program.
The current childcare crisis in this province cannot continue.
The cost of care to parents is second only to mortgage payments. Early-childhood educators are leaving the profession as they cannot afford the low wages they are paid. Quality is at a minimum in almost every centre in the province. There are spaces for approximately 20 per cent of the children who need them.
The previous provincial government claimed to have built thousands of spaces over their 16-year tenure. However, the truth is, that government offered capital dollars of approximately 25 per cent for building with very little ongoing funding after that.
The new NDP government has committed $1 billion over three years to begin to address the crisis. A new system cannot be built in a day. I give this government credit for planning a thoughtful roll-out of funds which will begin to address the issues outlined above.
I would suggest you read the plan at 10aday.com and perhaps you will have a broader understanding of what it will take to build this new system.
Sheila Davidson, White Rock
