chez Kirby

Dear _________,

Re: Child Care Funding Cuts

I am writing to express my concerns regarding child care funding reductions announced by Linda Reid, Minister of State for Child Care on January 5th, 2007. These funding cuts will have serious consequences for my family.

The cuts will mean that caregivers will likely need to increase their fees, some may close and new facilities may not open. The $100 federal child care credit families receive has already been used for other necessities by many families and may not be available to offset the increases in fees that occur.

Parents and child care providers in this province will also be impacted by the reduction in service and ultimate closures of Child Care Resource and Referrals programs throughout British Columbia. Parents in our community have access to a wide variety of services and support being provided by the Victoria Child Care Resource and Referral. These services include: providing parents with child care referrals that meet their family’s needs; providing parents with comprehensive written information on child care; providing assistance with the BC Child Care Subsidy application process and much more. In addition, the Victoria CCRR supports care providers by: providing child care providers with training and information which helps them offer developmentally appropriate activities for the children in their care; by providing them with resources through our toy and resource lending libraries; and ultimately, by assisting them in providing a safe, healthy and nurturing environment for the children in their care.

I urge the government to show it’s commitment to the children of this province and restore the funding to these important services.

Additional comments:

Sincerely,