It is time to put children first not last
This morning many determined parents, child care workers, and early childhood educators braved the bitter -40 cold to rally at the Manitoba Legislature to demand action on child care in Manitoba.
It is now abundantly clear that the federal Conservatives' child care "strategy" - to try to buy votes by giving people $100.00 per month - is a dismal failure when it comes to supporting child care and creating new spaces. And, the provincial Conservatives have been a dismal failure when it comes to going after their federal colleagues.
It is also very clear that the provincial NDP have simply dropped the ball when it comes to children. Because the provincial NDP has failed in its duty to support children, many children, parents and child care workers are facing uncertainty as to what will happen on April 1.
It is our view as Liberals that the province must consider children first not last. It is our view that the province must first guarantee that the funding will be there to ensure current day care spaces will continue after April 1. Children should never have to shoulder the burden resulting from provincial-federal bickering.
There is a great need in Manitoba for more child care spaces - not fewer. Child care workers at the rally this morning talked of waiting lists which are two or three years long! It is totally unacceptable that young children have to wait two or three years. This is a very long time in the life of a child.
And as for cost, remember this. Careful studies in the past have shown that for every dollar spent on improved support for children in their early years there is a saving of seven dollars in other provincial expenditures in areas like child and family services, health care, education and justice. The NDP is once again being very short-sighted by refusing to ensure children are supported in this province.
It is now abundantly clear that the federal Conservatives' child care "strategy" - to try to buy votes by giving people $100.00 per month - is a dismal failure when it comes to supporting child care and creating new spaces. And, the provincial Conservatives have been a dismal failure when it comes to going after their federal colleagues.
It is also very clear that the provincial NDP have simply dropped the ball when it comes to children. Because the provincial NDP has failed in its duty to support children, many children, parents and child care workers are facing uncertainty as to what will happen on April 1.
It is our view as Liberals that the province must consider children first not last. It is our view that the province must first guarantee that the funding will be there to ensure current day care spaces will continue after April 1. Children should never have to shoulder the burden resulting from provincial-federal bickering.
There is a great need in Manitoba for more child care spaces - not fewer. Child care workers at the rally this morning talked of waiting lists which are two or three years long! It is totally unacceptable that young children have to wait two or three years. This is a very long time in the life of a child.
And as for cost, remember this. Careful studies in the past have shown that for every dollar spent on improved support for children in their early years there is a saving of seven dollars in other provincial expenditures in areas like child and family services, health care, education and justice. The NDP is once again being very short-sighted by refusing to ensure children are supported in this province.
Above is a group shot of some of the people at the rally, a photo of Don Woodstock who is one of the organizers of the rally, and me addressing the crowd.
[April 2010: This rally was the catalyst for change. It was the catalyst for the develoment of a expanded child care opportunities in Southdale, and for a series of announcments since then which have improved support for child care and early childhood education. However, we still have long wait lists for early childhood education, and we still have much more that needs to be done.]
posted by Jon Gerrard @ 5.2.07
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