836 10 13233 https://digitalcollections.lakeheadu.ca/files/original/0107cbda67ca2b51a048477d16f618ae.pdf 8c39d5f900d7699a7b60a71446b16fe2 PDF Text Text ✓ Northvvestern Ontario Day Care Nevvs ~ NWO DAY CARE NEWS is a forum for the sharing of information between day care groups throughout the region, as well as providing information about what's happening on the federal and provincial scenes, both in terms of governmental policy/legislation and advocacy groups' activities. We hope that this newsletter will combat some of the isolation that day care workers and advocates feel and that through the sharing of resources, ideas and action plans, we can develop strategies to ensure the growth and strengthening of quality day care in our region. We welcome submissions to this newsletter from every day care centre and committee throughout Northwestern Ontario. Please send articles, news clippings, letters, etc. to Box 144, Thunder Bay, Ontario P7C 4VS NOVEMBER 1989 COUNCIL NOTES The Council of the Northwestern Ontario Regional Day Care Committee met Saturday, September 30th for a very busy day of discussion and action. In fact, we had so much work to do we didn't complete the agenda and will meet again this fall to finalize the Weighting Factor project, and begin discussion about "education and day care". From our September meeting three issues emerged that the Council will give continuing consideration to: * staff training needs of Native centres (Maria Swain outlined the problems that the staff employed by her centre experience in acquiring training - a oroblem that is common to many Native centres. New opportunities to provide appropriate training must be explored.) * attracting and retaining ECE staff (Many regional centres are now experiencing shortages of ECE staff, in contrast to 1986 when NWO had a very high percentage of ECE. As one day care administrate expressed ... "the direct grant came too late!" * capital projects are being restricted to minimums (It is disheartening when centres that are trying to match new facilities to. their creative vision of quality spaces/programs are hampered by the funder's insistance of cutting to bare bones minimum. But this seems to be common.) MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE The Membership Comnittee met recently, developed plans, and established targets. It was decided that the membership year would be from January 1 to December 31st of each year. Memberships purchased in the remainder of 1989 will be considered 1990 memberships, With the decrease in our grant it will be necessary to raise more of our budget through membership fees. We would be grateful if each reader of this newsletter would recommend friends, coworkers, etc. who might be interested in becoming a member, (Send name to N.W.O.R.D.C.C Box 144, Thunder Bay, P7C 4VS phone 345-8803) And if you haven't as yet purchased your membership please do so now. (see back page for application) �2 NEW DIRECTIONS DERAILED With the announcement of New Directions for Child Care in June 1987 spirits soared in the day care community. At last, we thought, the province is taking the day care issue seriously. The focus of New Directions for Child Care seemed to respond to the concerns raised by day care advocates for more than a decade: * * * move child care from a welfare connotation to that of a basic public service ensure a range of appropriate services for all families provide high quality care * recognize the value of child care work by improvement of staff wages. Moving from this sound base it seemed that Ontario was taking the right path to meet child care needs. Operating for three-year planning cycles the Ministry outlined initiatives to be taken during the first three years. This first cycle ends March 1990 ... a brief five months away. It is time for some assessment. Have the objectives of New Directions been met? Have the expectations of the child care community been realized? Unfortunately, NO. Major initiatives that would significantly shape the direction of child care have been discarded or "put on hold". Let's look at some of the policy statements made and initiatives planned and see what has and hasn't happened. "In keeping with its commitment to make child care more affordable, the government will replace the current needs-test with an income test as the eligibility screen for subsidy. Work on the design of an appropriate income test for Ontario has begun and implementation is targeted for the 1988/89 fiscal year," In September we were informed that the implementation of income testing would not proceed. "Ontario's comprehensive, integrated approach to child care will be embodied in the drafting of a new Child Care Act. This new legislation will be developed through a public consultation process, beginning with the release of a discussion paper in the 1988/89 fiscal year. The introduction of a new Child Care Act is expected to be achieved by the end of the first three-year planning cycle, setting the stage for the next three-year cycle." While we understand that work is being done on a new Child Care Act, the N.W.O,R.D.C.C. has not been invited to be part of any consultation process, and has not seen a discussion paper. We have no indication when the new Child Care Act will be introduced (but are convinced it will not be in place by March 1990) �3 "Projects which strengthen boards of directors and involve parents in child care decision-making and management will be encouraged." In November 1987 the Funding Advisory Committee prepared detailed guidelines for non-profit boards. The F.A.C. recommendations were not accepted by the Ministry. Great concern exists about the potential for the proliferation of pseudo-non-profits, in the absence of firm guidelines. The Ministry has recently appointed an Advisory Committee to the Survey of Management Practice in the Non-Profit Child Care sector to determine what policy and program development initiatives will most likely support effective management practice within this sector. While the N.W,O.R.D.C.C. has agreed to participate in this committee we do so with a sense of frustration. Had the Ministry acted on the advice of the F.A.C., the Coalition, and other representatives of the day care community, issues surrounding the non-profit sector would have been resolved several years ago. Studying the situation yet again will only further delay needed action. "For the first time, direct operating grants will be available to provide ongoing support for licensed care. Initially, priority will be given to improving salaries." Direct operating grants were implemented in 1988. While many day care organizations flowed the direct grant to wages and benefits, providing a much needed increase in wages for day care staff, it is unfortunate that the Ministry permitted exceptions. Some day care organizations chose to not give the direct grant to staff wages, Consequently, the wage discrepancy within the day care field has increased, which creates its own problems, to say nothing of the effect on the morale of the staff that did not receive the grant. Although, for the majority of centres, the direct grant was indeed advantageous, for a significant minority of centres the direct grant caused chaos. The majority of problems connected to the direct grant were caused by the Ministry allowing exceptions. This was ill-considered and unnecessary. ''The government will continue to expand its financing of child care subsidies. Approximately one-third of the new funding will be directed to increased financing for child care subsidies· to assist about 13,000 more children." We do not have information on how many new subsidized spaces have been created throughout the province in the past three years, Our information indicates, however, that barely 100 new subsidized spaces have been allocated in Northwestern Ontario, "The Ministry of Community and Social Services will assess the effectiveness and consistency of current enforcement and licensing policies under the Day Nurseries Act." (After considerable media exposure re problems of compliance with regulations) the Minister ordered a special task force in February 1989. The task force has already missed one reporting deadline, and has now targetted for October 1989, but, at this writing, the report has not been released, The N.W.O.R.D.C.C. made a submission to (former) Minister John Sweeney, :regarding standards, enforcement and quality, in June 1989, To date we have not had a reply. " new funding will be targetted to support the introduction of direct operati'ng grants to the non~profit sector (our emphasis) �4 "The application of direct grants to the commercial sector forms part of the costsharing negotiations with the federal governme.qt, The province is p;repared to e_xtend these grants to the existing commercial sector; provi'd.ed the current federa,l restrict~ ions are removed. 11• "A range of possible incentives to encourage private agencies to conver,t to non~profit status will also be provided." While commercial day care has not been an issue in Northwestern Ontario, we have expressed in the strongest possible terms that we do not want it to become an issue. Public money should not be given to for-profit operations, We have indicated support for initiatives that would encourage owner-operated commercial day care centres to convert to non-profit, ensuring accountability to parents and the community. Despite the fact that federal-provincial cost-sharing negotiations did not mature, and "current feder~l restrictions'' were not removed, the province has, since April 1988, provided direct operating grants to commercial centres. At present the grant to commercials is 50%, but rumours abound that this will move to 100%, The Ministry has been working on a "conversion" project for several years~ In September we learned that the commercial conversion to non-profit will not be proceeded with. WHAT HAPPENED TO THE COMMITMENT TO THE NON-PROFIT SECTOR???? "A significant partnership in the delivery of child care services in Ontari'O is the funding and management role of muni·cipalities. Municipalities are . (involved in) the administration and cost-sharing of day care subsidies, the operation of licensed programs and community-wide planning for child care." "municipal involvment, however, is optional, This has resulted in wide discrepancies in the interpretation of the municipal role, and in local commitment to the provision and expansion of services," "The municipal relationship is being considered as part of (a study) being undertaken by the Ministry of Communi'ty and Social Services, the Association of Municipalities of Ontario and the Ontario Municipal Social Services Association. A report on municipal involvement, expected by the fall of 1988, will define the role of municipali ti·es in the planning, funding and delivery of child care services." As of September 1989 there was no indication of when (or if) this report would be made public, or if its recommendations would resolve many of the problems day care advocates have identified, The "wide discrepancies in the interpretation of the municipal role and in local commitment to ... services" continue to create problems for the develop-:ment of accessible, affordable, high-quality child care, "The Ministry of Labour will be reviewing relevant sections of the Employment Standards Act this year with a view to balancing the needs of employed parents, their co-:-workers and employers, in areas such as pregnancy and parental leaves." To our knowledge no action has been taken on improving pregnancy leave provisions or implementing parental leave plans. PROSPECTS FRIGHTENING The realization that so little of New Directions' progressive, albeit modest, plan has been implemented is quite frightening. The objectives of New Directions have not been met within the first three-year cycle. It is becoming increasingly clear that the second three-year cycle will fail to meet the initial goals, much less develop the vision needed to resolve the serious day care problems in Ontario. �5 The Ministry is preparing the second three-yaar cycle plan. public consultation into this planning. There will be no ·nal plan will be. There is, however, -no indication We do not know what the f 1 th t the question of affordability will be addressed (through direct grants to re:uce parent fees or other means). Th:r: is ~o indication that the sub~idized space crisis experienced by many connnun1t1es will be alleviated. There is no indication that any of the initiatives to enhance quality child care will be forthcoming. It seems that the province is saying we gave you the direct grant, we raised (some) workers wages. That's all we are prepared to do. It is not enough. -HfHl'd IEAuf tf e/lAHffJ ., If MEit <4111./? I/AVA Q/iUJl(EN. F.A.C. DISBANDED The Funding Advisory Committee established by the Ministry of Community and Social Services has been disbanded. The decision to disband the Committee was taken by the Ministry despite a clear indication by committee members that we wanted to continue and expand our consultative role. The Committee was formed in late 1987 to advise on the implementation of the direct operating grant and the implementation of income testing. As the direct operating grant has been uimplemented", and as the Ministry is not proceeding with the change to income testing, the Ministry feels there is no longer a role for the Committee. Despite many frustrations when our "advice" was not accepted (e.g. that the direct grant should be a wage grant with no exceptions; that guidelines for non-profit boards should be established) representation on the Funding Advisory Committee was viewed as useful for the N.W.O. R.D.C.C. Participation on the Committee provided the opportunity to gain information that would otherwise have been difficult for our Committee/region to obtain. Funding Advisory Committee members believe that there are many unresolved funding issues that should be addressed by a broadly-based consultative committee. The N.W.O.R.D.C.C. has written to Kay Eastham, Director, Child Care Branch, expressing our concern that the avenue for obtaining and sharing information and advancing the Northwestern Ontario perspective on child care, provided by the Funding Advisory Committee, has been closed. �6 NEW PROGRAMS/CENTRES RAINBOW DAY CARE CENTRE in Atikokan, which opened in April, held their official opening June 12th. Howard Hampton MPP, Iain Angus MP, Ruth Wells MCSS, and Margaret Phillips NWORDCC, participated in the opening ceremonies. Rainbow Day Care presently serves toddlers/preschoolagers, but already has a waiting list for school-age children and are initiating plans to meet this need. Confederation College CHILDREN AND FAMILY CENTRE moved into their new facility in September. Their expanded program is slated for next spring. KINDERPLACE CHILDCARE CENTRE opened its doors in October. A workplace day care, operated by a non-profit board, KINDERPLACE has been planned to respond to the needs of Lakehead Psychiatric Hospital and Northwest Regional Centre staff but will alsd serve the broader community. KINDERPLACE is Thunder Bay's first infant care centre, and when expanded will serve ten infants, ten toddlers and sixteen pre-schoolers. MARATHON DAY CARE moved into their new centre, located in the newly built separate school, in July. Funding for new centres in DRYDEN and FORT FRANCES have recently been announced. KENORA DAY CARE is now offering private home day care in addition to their Centre program. Licensed for 20 children the private home program started in September. DO YOU ENJOY RECEIVING THIS NEWSLETTER? PLEASE CONTRIBUTE TO THE NEWSLETTER COST BY PURCHASING YOUR MEMBERSHIP RED LAKE submitted by Holly Rupert At the Red Lake Day Care Centre, we are setting up an integrated program for children with developmental disabilities. Late last summer, the Township of Red Lake received $56,000 in grant funding from the Child Care Initiatives Fund, Health and Welfare Canada. This has allowed us to begin an 18-month pilot project to provide a program for children with special needs. The grant will cover the cost of equipment, resource materials and supplies, as well as wages and some training for a resource teacher. A project co-ordinator -- Holly Rupert, a Council member -- has been hired to set up the program. Right now we are busy defining policy, planning a community promotion strategy for the program, and establishing the necessary liaison with COM SOC for integrated licencing. We plan to hire a resource teacher to begin in January. We expect to be offering actual programming to children in March 1990. We'll have four integrated spaces available. The pilot funding will run until January 1991. After that time, our funding is not certain. However, the program's success will go a long ways towards winning renewed support from Red Lake Council and the necessary fund~ ing from COMSOC. We've received positive support from the local boards of education and several community agencies that also work with children, so we are confident the program will be successful. �7 SCHOOLHOUSE PLAYCARE CENTRE GOOD WISHES TO: submitted by Kelly Massaro-Joblin DIANE SARRAZIN, who moved to North Bay in September to assume a new position with the North Bay and District Association for the Mentally Retarded. Diane, who was Supervisor of Geraldton Day Care Centre/La Garderie de Geraldton, was very active in the formation and the maturation of the N.W.O.R.D.C.C. We wish to thank you, Diane, for your years of hard work both in Geraldton and with the Committee. The Pilot Project is coming along • nicely. We are planning a workshop for St. James parents and staff along with Schoolhouse Playcare Centre parents and staff. The workshop is entitled "Storytime: A Quality Time". This informal workshop for parents and staff will offer easily applied ideas for making this important daily routine an even more rewarding experience for everyone. Emphasis will be on how to capture the child's interest; explore the book together~ how to expand the speaking vocabulary at an early age level when the greatest language acquisition in a childis life takes place; and how to enhance listening appreciation and thinking. A list of particularly suitable books for storytime will be provided - many of them available at the public library. This will assist our early intervention process by helping those children who require help with their language skills along with other children to enjoy reading. GRANT CUT 22% Along with other Northwestern Ontario organizations that receive Secretary of State Women's Program funding, the N.W.O.R.D. C.C. experienced a serious slashing of our grant request. In our case, the budget was cut 22%. The erosion of funding to Secretary of State Women's Programs and its funded community groups, demonstrates that the federal government does not intend to continue its support to groups that advocate social change. While the federal government no doubt hopes to muffle social protest, we are determined that we will not be silenced. KAREN WARBIN, who is pursuing studies during a year's leave of absence from her position as Supervisor of the Dryden Day Care Centre. Karen has been involved with the N.W.O.R.D.C.C. since our inception and was a member of the Weighting Factor committee. MARILYN WELLS, a former member of our Council, is taking on new challenges in the education field, having spent the summer studying in Manitoba. RUTH WELLS, Regional Child Care Co-ordinator, North Region, Ministry of Community and Social Services, has recently relocated to Sault Ste. Marie. Before joining the Ministry, Ruth was active with our Committee. We will miss you in the Northwest, Ruth, and hope that you keep in touch. We also wish RAE ANNE HONEY, Ontario Women's Directorate, a quick return to good health and mobility. �8 MANITOBA MOBILIZES A one-day, province-wide walkout by day care staff at the majority of the Manitoba Child Care Association's centres occured Oct.17th. 2000 day care workers, parents and children demonstrated at Manitoba's legislature protesting the government's decision not to give immediate raises to child care workers. While child care workers wages (which average about $16,000) head the list of problems, increased parent fees, the demands on parent boards to fund raise, and an apparent government move to fund for-profit centres are also major issues in Manitoba. Rural Manitoba day cares have particular needs, which N,W.O. can identify with ... "directors noted food costs are higher in rural areas, field trips for youngsters cost more and the cost of obtaining supplies, usually from Winnipeg, is higher." While no government action was forthcoming, the level of support given to the demonstration by parents was especially encouraging ... and future actions will be planned to urge solutions to the crisis. • G.S.T. The imposition of the planned Goods and Services Tax (G.S.T.) by the federal government will create enormous problems for consumers, small business people • f act, the majority of Canadians. ' in The G.S.T. is being vociferously protested by most Canadians. Day care advocates will add our voice to this protest. Although child care fees are exempt from the G.S.T. many costs of operating day care (supplies, equipment, heating, etc.) will be taxed , adding to centre costs, and reflected in increased fees. POLICY FORUM The Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care will hold a Policy Forum November 8, 1989. Evaluating the current state of child care; examining alternatives: and establishing goals and strategies for the future, will be the day long focus of this Fo:um: he issue of day care jurisdiction will provoke considerable discussion. Evening workshops on private home day care pay equity, and the possible , formation of a Non-Profit Child Care Federation will also be h:ld. Forum delegates are in~ vited to participate in the Pay Equity Lobby of MPPs that will take place the following mornin~ Several representatives of the o• ~.W.O.R.D.C.C. will participate in the Forum and will report in the next newsletter. 7 ~· ~i ~ ~~ • ~ ~ ~ G-Zf .. .. . .. �9 WISHES, DREAMS AND GIANTS Rodney Brown's newest recording WISHES, DREAMS and GIANTS should be of special interest to Day Cares in Northwestern Ontario. Released over the summer it has been receiving a very positive response from the public, media and educators in Thunder Bay and indeed across the country. The album cover is beautifully illustrated by Atikokan artist Alana Marohnic. Many of the songs were workshopped while Rodney was doing residencies in Northwestern Ontario schools. Students thoughts and feelings about school, play, tooth-fairies, pets, unicorns and friends make it fun listening for young children. As well as songs written with children the album includes two stories that are adapt~d by Rodney: Pete Seeger's Abiyoyo and Harry Nillson's Rainmaker. A traditional Jamaican folk song Mango Walk is also on the album. We think this recording would make a worthwhile addition to your taped music library. Presently distribution is limited to various Thunder Bay stores, the Children's Bookstore in Toronto and a few other outlets across the country. It is available on album or cassetee and can be ordered by sending a $15.00 (this includes tax, shipping and handling) cheque or money order to Starsilk Records, 212 Wolseley St., Thunder Bay, Ontario, P7A 3G7. Call (807) 344-1057 for any questions you may have. ~ \\~ .. .... \'-"~ \.,,... -~./. c:71 ~- L; ... I A,.~~" PAY EQUITY The Ontario Federation of Labour and the Equal Pay Coalition are mounting a campaign to pressure the government to ensure pay equity provisions are extended to the thousands of women not presently covered by the Act. Proposed changes made to the Pay Equity Commission would: * * * * * * * allow comparisons between jobs in different workplaces include women in workplaces with less than 10 employees raise the minimum wage to $8.30 an hour give part-time workers the same protection and benefits as full time workers make it easier for unorganized women to unionize introduce strong employment equity legislation allocate special funds for pay equity increases throughout the public sector These and other issues will be the subject of the Pay Equity Lobby of provincial MPPS to be held November 9th 1989. �10 TORONTOSTAR.~IONDAY.OCTOBEJI 16. l9ll9 Highest paid day-care staff give best care, study says BY COUH MacKENZIE Globe and Malt Correspondent WIIStnNGION Wa~c rates a.re the ftrentest ~In- gle predictor of the quallly of care ,jffP.red hy day-c::ue cenlres, s11ys a nalion:,I U.S. !litudy released yes- lerdav. The hiRhPr the ••R••• the beller 1he c.1rt". !liaid the 11uthnrs or the study that survey<d 227 centres In flvp U.S. citle•. 1 he centrrs th•t paid the best trnrtt"d tn he flfffl•fln,flt, hflve bP.tlf"f·'Jmllifird :'iililff and lower rnt~ nf lllnNlVt"f. Sl:lff turnnvP.r w:u& 41 pPr cent In l~RR. up from 1he ts rer cent re- ported in a shnllar 1977 study. And thrre was :t direct corre- lation hetween salaries and turnovP.r: 54 pP.r cent In centres paying IP.5~ than SI an hour, 27 per cent In centres paying more than $6 an hour. "Chlldrrn In cent,.,. with higher turnover rates !Cpent less time engaR<d In socl•I Activities •llh pef!rs and more lime In atmleH wandoring," ••id the study, which also notl?d lower vncabulary test scores for !Ct~ch ce~trr!lt. There Is also a dlSIUrbln~ pallern In such turnnver, •aid Deborah Phillip•, • University of Vlr-lnla education professor and • CO• aulhnr or the •tudy. New workers lncreasln~ly tend to he les• quoitfled than they ~pie they replac,, ohesald y,sterd•y. Child-care wnrke,. eam IRr less than their cnuntr.rpRrt., In other industriPS and not even one-third of what sln,llarly qualilled people make In other fields. "Our nation hu lmpllcltly adopted a child-care policy which relies upon unseen subsidies pro• vlded by child-care teachers through !heir low salaries," said the study, en1111ed the National Chlld Care Staffing Study. This was particularly true In forprofit centres, both Independent and chain•. lhe authors said yesterdoy. Whlle non-profit centres spent •ll~htly more th•n fiO per cent or their budgets on Instruction, lorprollt cr.ntrPS ,et ""Ide 41 to 49 per cent lnrthal purl""'•• "The dlllerence In quallly Is significant and anrlbutable In part lo wag" nnd In turnover r■ tes:• s11kl study co- author Carollee Howes. a psyclmlngy professor at the Uni• Are moms quitting :: workforce? S URPRISING as the latest ~nemployment f_igures are. they may be Just the tip of an unexpected iceberll, In his April budget. Finance ~linister :'.lichael Wilson ac· knowledged lhat the jobless rate. which wa:i then i .8 per cent, was e,cpected to rise. Unemployme~t would climb to 8.2 per cent in the last three months of the vear. said the budget docu• inents, and be up to 8.5 per cent a year later. Private sector forecasters have been saying the same thing, manv of them projecting ever. higher jobless numbers. The Conference Board of Canada's recent survey of forecasts from 13 financial institu• tions and economic research firms shows all nl lhem predict· inll rising unemployment over the balance of this year and next Several of the forecasters predict that next year's rate will average close to 9 per cent But Statistics Canada reports that the jobless rate has actually heen falling lor the past several months. The newly-released September figures show it dropped from 7.~ per cent to a post-reces• sion low of 7.3 per cent last month. verslty of Callfornta. The avrrage chntn-owMCt. for- profit centre paid S4.I0 •n hour and had a start tunmver rate nf 74 per cent. Independent, prollt-maklng cent,.,. paid $4.76 •n hour and had a 51 rer cent lumover rate. Church••pntlSOrPd Cl'l11,... paid an averag~ of S5.0t an hour and h•d lo,t an avPra~e of 38 per cent of their stall In the past year and othPr non-profit centres paid SS.40 an hour and had a JO-per-cent turnover rate. Ct-nlfl?\11 carlnR for a 101111 of 18,- 000 chlldren and employing 3,000 peopli, were !';UrvPved frnm Feb- ruary to llugust of l!IM In the $5410,000 sru,ty. whfr.h was financed by severnt foundations. Fee• ranged Imm 13,200 lo S7,200 a year ror full-day care, and salaries averaged S.5.35 an hour. Confined In llcenced centres, the Mody cnnsisted of ln•dHs a5sess• men1s of leacher-chlld Inter• acllons, interviews with starr mP.mbers and assessments of Globe & Mail Oct.18/89 children. The 51udy also found that hlgh- JOBS.JOBS Are Mulroneyan economic policies confounding even Wilson's prophesies, and generating jobs. jobs, jobs? Not at all. StatsCan says the number of employed Canadians actually dropped in September by more than what end-of•summer seasonal factors alone can account for. lncomfl' and lo••lnr-ome families tendPd to re,r.tve the best quallly nf child core, with middle-Income lomille• l•RRIOR behind. Bake sale donations for minister Brenda Cryderman. lell, cochairman or lhe Nnrlhwcslern Ont:irio Women·s Occade Council and MarRarel Phillips, a spokesman for the Nnrlhweslern 11•gional Day Care Commillee, help MP lain Angus !Thunder Bay-Alikokan: NOP I, hold an overflowing armful of baked goods. The baked goods were presented lo AnRlL< by Cryderman. Phillips and a num- The reason why the unempioy· ment rate nonetheil'SS fell is that the participation rare - also :,easonally adjusted to take into account those who would nor· m.>Jly lea\·e the labor iorce in S.,ptember - dropped even more. The biggest surprise . is t1,,_. group which was responsible :or virtually all of that drop. Not thl' discouraged older male workers we hear so much about, but women under the age of 25. Fifteen years ago, when the babv boom generation was nooding into the labor market. economists were predicting a big drop in unemployment as soon as the last of the baby boomers reached working age. By the early '80s. said the Eco· nomic Council of Canada among others. our problem would be a shortage of labor. . It didn't work out that way, 01 c·ourse. The recession was parUy responsible. but the biggest rea· son was that the growth of the iabor supply didn't slow down significanUy when the baby boom entrants petered out :\!others re-entering the job market and younger ones not leaving it when they had ch!l· dren kept the number of avail• able workers growing strongly. as the female labor force partici• pation rate rose hy a full I per c·ent each year. DAYCARE Until this ,·ear. that is. ln the first nine months of 1989. it has grown at less than half that rate. Althoullh it was women under the age of 25 who were mainly responsible lor last month's fig• ures. over the full January to September period it is ,vomen over 25 who show the larger stall in labor force participation. Al this point it is premature to draw any firm conclusions. But it isn't too soon to start ask· in~ questions and checkin~ possible answers. Has the number of mothers who want jobs outside the home started to level off? Or has our patchwork child care situation been stretched to its limit. so additional mothers who want to return to paid employment and new mothers who want to continue in their johs are simply lindin~ it impossible? • ·.~ltho~~h· the number_ oi spaces in child..:are centres nas been growing rapidly in i:ec,,nt ,·ears. the number of children being cared for by relatives and in the homes of ne1~hborhooo women has been growing even faster. With fewer wnmen at home. the number available to take other people's children into their homes had to run out e\-entually. And that could be what is now happening. If so. the news of our fallin~ unemployment rate should be rinlling alarm bells rather than inviting applalLse. □ ~ S111frin '-- -~...; ber of other citi7.tms concerned about federal day care funding and legislation. Angus will present lhe baked goods lo Finance Minister Michael Wilson. The women said Wilson could hoM a bake sale lo fund more frderal day care iniliatives. Some of lhe cookies were slale and olhers were broken. "The slale conki,s are indicalive of lhe lenglh of lime Canadian families have wailed lor the federal government to lake action on lhe child care crisis," Pbillips told a group of supporlers galhtred at Angus's May Street olfice Friday. "The crumbled cookies are represenlative .of the broken promises of the Conr;ervative government.'' /Al 7 ,, / ·,;•· -~ ~..... ': 'i ~~ Chronic 1e Journa l June/89 t:r'- ·~ , is .., Ottawa wtlta on aoci■I pole �November 1989 Page 11 • MEMBERSHIP • At the 1988 Forum a membership structure for the Northwestern Ontario Regional Day Care Committee was approved. Memberships are now available. Membership categories are: Category A: Municipal Councils/Indian Band Council; Day Care Centres; Professional Organizations; Regional Associations; Labour Unions. Fee: $50.00 Category B: Parent Groups, Voluntary Community Organizations. Fee: $25.00 Category C: Individuals. Fee: $5.00 To Join, please complete this application form, detach and return to: N.W.O.R.D.C.C. P.O. Box 144 Thunder Bay, Ont. P7C 4V5 MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION I believe in the purpose of The Northwestern Ontario Regional Day Care Committee and I wish to become a member. Signature Name: ______________________________________ _ Address: ___________________________________ _ Postal Code: _______________________________ _ Phone Number: ___________ Fee Enclosed _______ _ A Category: I # I I I I I I I I I I# I I I I B I I I I I I I C I I I Thank you for your support. I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I �Pae 12 November 1989 RECIPE FOR CHILDCARE SERVES: ALL CANADIANS INGREDIENTS: -TONS OF HIGH QUALITY -100¾ NON-PROFIT -SUBSIDIES FOR ALL WHO NEED THEM -GUARANTEED UNIVERSAL ACCESS -GUARANTEED SPACES -FLEXIBLE SPECIAL NEEDS 'SERVICES PREPARATION TIME: OVERDUE COOKING TIME: A.S.A.P. METHOD: MIX ALL INGREDIENTS THOROUGHLY IN A LARGE MULTICULTURAL SETTING, THROW IN ADEQUATE GOVERNMENT LEADERSHIP AND FUND UNTIL ALL CHILDREN ARE WELL CARED FOR. PLACE IN HIGH PRIORITY FOR IMMEDIATE ACTION. · � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Northwestern Ontario Day Care News, November 1989 Subject The topic of the resource Organizations Description An account of the resource Northwestern Ontario Day Care News November 1989. Includes information about Membership Committee; overview of Ontario child care policy initiatives and the Child Care Act and New Directions; Funding Advisory Committee for the Ministry of Community and Social Services disbanded; day care news for Thunder Bay, Marathon, Dryden, Fort Frances, Kenora, and Red Lake; Secretary of State Women's Programs grants decreased funding; Manitoba Child Care Associations walkout day; G.S.T. Goods and Services Tax; Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care Forum; Pay Equity; membership. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Northwestern Ontario Regional Child Care Committee Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1989-11 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Northwestern Ontario Regional Child Care Committee: under copyright. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context nwodcn_89nov Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Canada- Ontario - Thunder Bay Canada - Ontario - Marathon Canada - Ontario - Dryden Canada - Ontario - Fort Frances Canada - Ontario - Kenora Canada - Ontario - Red Lake https://digitalcollections.lakeheadu.ca/files/original/16b4d39ef2854296ab29061b872959ba.pdf 1098674b104874d69466c01e824d9421 PDF Text Text N.orthvvestern Ontario Day Care OCTOBER 1987 Nevvs NWO DAY CARE NEWS is a forum for the sharing of information between day care groups throughout the region, as wefl as providing information about what's happening on the federal and provincial scenes, both in terms of governmental pol icy/legislation and advocacy groups' activities. We hope that this newsletter wi I I combat some of the isolation that day care workers and advocates feel and that through the sharing of resources, ideas and action plans, we can develop strategies to ensure the growth and strengthening of qua I ity day care in our region. We welcome submissions to this newsletter from every day care centre and committee throughout Northwestern Ontario. Please send articles, news clippings, letters, etc. to Box 144, Thunder Bay, Ontario P7C 4V5. STEERING COf'-AMITTEE MEETING The NWO Regional Day Care Committee is back in business. Not that we were ever out of business, but our volunteers did get pretty stretched over the summer. Happily, we've received funding from the Department of Secretary of State (September 1987 - February 1988) and Margaret has been hired (three days per week) to faci I itate the Committee's work. The Steering Committee had a very productive meeting on September 19th establishing plans and priorities for the next six months. It was dee i ded to hold the Regional Forum in February (rather than this fa! I). Thinking optimistically, by February we expect finalized information about the Ministry's plans to implement their new pol icy, and hopefully we can then start to PLAN rather than just deal with crisis. Political action taken by the Committee included sending letters and information packages to al I Northwestern Ontario MPPs, and communicating to the Honourable John Sweeney, Minister of Community and Social Services, our concerns for comprehensive services and flexibi I ity; wages; 100% capital funding; as we! I as emphasizing Northwestern Ontario priorities and differences. Issues of concern raised by Steering Committee representatives included enrolment based fees; infant care; and after-school programs. Capital funding is also an issue as several centres are in dire need of new facilities, and the existing formula of 50% capital contributions is clearly inadequate. Utilizing "technology" to enhance regular communications amongst Northwestern Ontario day care people wi I I be investigated, including the possibi I ity of teleconferencing and computer networking. Municipal day care representatives expressed interest in obtaining information concerning Pay Equity legislation and decided to invite someone with expertise in this field to attend a future meeting. At our next meeting, the Steering Committee wi I I develop (for presentation to the February Forum) models for organizational structure and ongoing funding to ensure a regional organization is maintained. Considering the need to ensure regional communication (given the decision to postpone the Forum unti I February), it was agreed to invite representatives from Sioux Lookout, Dryden and Longlac to the next Steering Committee meeting to be held in Thunder Bay, Saturday, November 28, 1987. REGIONAL NEWS FORT FRANCES Submitted by Phy I I is Ke! lar: �2 The ~ort Frances Day Care And Chi Id Development Centre and Fort Frances Private Home Day Care Centre program entered a float in the July 1st parade. The children were dressed up in community helper outfits with box town props with a banner - CARE FOR OUR CHILDREN, THEY ARE OUR FUTURE. The Day Care and Private Home Day Care programs in Fort Frances are ful I to capacity, with a long waiting ljst. The Day Care Centre has been informed that their lease wi I I not be renewed on May 31, 1988, so we are presently exploring al I avenues and looking for a new faci I ity. We did a fundraising of se I Ii ng cook books and have a Imost sold 200 books. We also had a penny fair that al I the Day Care children enjoyed. M.ARATHON Submitted by Naomi Vodden: Marathon Day Care has been very busy; our enro Iment is growing stead i Iy. We have increased our number of subsidized spaces and changed maximums which al lows more fami I ies to qua I ify for subsidies. Provision of day care space in one (or more) of the new schools being planned for Marathon is being pursued. [Editor's Note: We are sorry to learn that Naomi Vodden is leaving Marathon because of her husband's transfer. We al I wish Naomi wel I and we're sure she' I I organize a day care advocacy group in Kirkland Lake. Veronica Kriedl wi I I replace Naomi on the Steering Committee. Welcome, Veronica!] DRYDEN Submitted by Karen Warbin: Our children have enjoyed many special events including a Family Picnic sponsored by our Parents' Group and a visit to the Game Farm which al lowed children to experience animals they had never seen before. A picnic with the Patricia Gardens Seniors was enjoyed by al I, as was the Fal I Fair Parade. Thirty-five children participated in our Summer Olympics. Recently our Fire Chief conducted an educational program geared to pre-schoolers. The children learned "Stop, Drop and Roi I". We have been attempting to increase pubI ic awareness - letters have been sent to major Marathon companies asking for support. After much work, we have received our registered charitable number which hopefully wi I I bring more money our way. Our 4th Annual Day Care Open House was most successful with thirty-five parents and two Town Counci I Iors attending. The big excitement is the $11,000 grant we received from the Ministry of Northern Development. [Editor's Note: The story of this grant is most interesting ... do ask the Marathon people for detai Is.] [Editor's Note: Karen Warbin, who has been Acting Supervisor for some months, was appointed Supervisor, October 1st. Al I our best wishes, Karen!] Our Open House was wel I attended and provided an opportunity to discuss the Ontario day care situation and the commercia I issue. The forum report was pub I ished in our monthly newsletter and election issues discussed with parents. GERALDTON The Day Care participated in the festival of social services, and had a chance to talk to MPP Gi Iles Pouliot at this event. The waiting I ist continues to grow (18 in September). A survey is being con-· ducted to help evaluate the situation. Submitted by Diane Sarrazin: In conjunction with the Town's 50th Anniversary, our Centre hosted two Open House Days, July 30th and 31st". On Saturday, August 1st, children and staff were involved in our float, "Old Woman in the Shoe" in the anniversary parade. A booth was also featured in �our Annual District Fal I Fair (August 21st and ~2nd). The Parent Committee has been actively involved in a post card campaign, as wel I as attending election meetings in the area. Geraldton has a waiting I ist of 21. Consideration is being given to holding the latch-key program off-site. The need for infant care has been identified. On October 26, 1986, the Geraldton Day Care Centre wi I I celebrate its 15th anniversary. Counci I lor Sally Laine, who is a member of the Geraldton Town Counci I, has been appointed to an Ontario Municipal Social Services Association (OMSSA) Task Force on Chi Id Care to represent Northwestern Ontario. RED LAKE Submitted by Holly Rupert. The Red Lake Centre has a waiting I ist; however Balmertown has experienced a decline in enrolment since the introduction of Junior Kindergarten. The Balmertown faci I ity is not wel I designed for toddlers. A new school is planned for Balmertown but, as yet, no decision has been made about locating the day care centre within the new school. ONTARIO COALITION CONFERENCE It is expected that we wi I I have a strong Northwestern Ontario delegation attend the Fifth Annual Ontario Coalition for Better Day Care Conference and Lobby in Toronto, November 6-9, 1987. With _the optimistic theme "The-Times-TheyAre-a-Chang i ng" - New Mode Is for Chi Id Care Services and Strategies for Implementation, the conference has an impressive program. Holly Rupert (Red Lake) wil I be our representative on the opening panel, reporting on regional activities and concerns. Sylvia Gold, President of the Canadian Advisory Council on Women's Issues, wi I I address the conference on 'Federal Priorities for Chi Id Care'. A panel of experts wi 11 discuss the "commercial issue". There is a total of thirty workshops from which to choose that wi I I appeal . to diverse interests that workers, parents, administrators and advocates may have. Workshops that wi I I be of particular interest to Northwestern Ontario delegates include: - New Directions for Chi Id Care: The Government's View. Kay Eastham, Director, Chi Id Care Branch, wi 11 out I ine the new government pol icy and explain the process of implementation. - The Direct Operating Grant - How It Wi I I Work, How It Wi I I Affect Staff, Parents and Children. - The Transitional Grants - What They Are and What Wi I I Happen to Them [our emphasis]. - Changing to Income Testing - How It Wi I I Work. - Flexible Models of Chi Id Care; - Barriers to Development of Non-Profit Day Care Programs and Strategies for Change; Pay Equity Legislation; Bargaining for Better Day Care; School-Age Day Care - and many more. Sunday's program includes a session on the constitution (Meech Lake Accord) and imp I ications for day care; a session on legal issues in chi Id care; and preparation for Monday's lobby. As wel I, NORTHWESTERN ONTARIO DELEGATES WILL MEET SUNDAY (exact time and room to be announced). This meeting wi I I give us the opportunity to analyze the information we obtain at Saturday's sessions; determine whether there is need for NWO political action; and decide on methods of transferring our newly-acquired knowledge to the rest of the Northwestern Ontario day care community. CONTINUED �4 To make the most effective .u se of the limited budget funds avai I able, al I interested delegates are asked to explore possibi I ities of getting ful I or partial sponsorship from their centre/ union or community sources. For delegates unable to acquire local sponsorship, the following subsidies will be avai Iable: (1) Travel subsidy from the Ontario Coal it ion for Better Day Care, and (2) the Northwestern Ontario Regional Day Care Committee wi I I pay your registration fees. Delegates wi I I be responsible for their own accommodation. Bi I leting can be arranged by contacting the Coalition. Al I NWO people planning to attend the Coalition Conference are asked to advise Margaret as soon as possible (623-9067). NATIONAL DAY CARE CONFERENCE The Canadian Day Care Advocacy Association wi I I host a major national conference in Ottawa, Apri I 21-24, 1988. CHILD CARE: MEET THE CHALLENGE wi I I feature major speakers and workshops on the expected new federal chi Id care initiatives, service delivery developments in the provinces/ territories, and recent chi Id care research. Ski 11 bui I ding and strategy sessions wi I I help conference participants to take an active role in shaping future pub I ic po I icy. It is important that Northwestern Ontario be represented at this national conference. As the CDCAA has I imited resources for subsidies, we should attempt to get community support to send our delegates. The conference is only six months away, so let's start planning now. COMSOC FUNDING ADVISORY Ca-1MITTEE - Reported by Margaret Phi I I ips: have been appointed to represent Northwestern Ontario on the Funding Advisory Committee which was recently established by the Ministry of Community and Social Services. The objective of the Committee is "to provide a vehicle for consultation on the introduction of direct funding to licensed chi Id care programs and on the change from needs-testing to income-testing for subsidies". The Committee is composed of day care providers, advocates, administrators and Ministry representatives. The first area to be addressed is the implementation of the direct grant to nonprofit centres, which is to be implemented this fiscal year, that is, before March 31, 1988. The change from needs testing to income testing is scheduled for implementation during the next fiscal year, that is, before March 31, 1989. In order to acquire the necessary information base from which to develop long range planning, as wel I as to monitor the impact of direct grants and income-testing pol icy, the Ministry wi I I be conducting a number of surveys, at least one of which wi I I be sent to every I icensed program in the province. (In view of the fact that NWO municipal centres have just undergone a comprehensive review, it has been recommended that further surveys of municipal day care be kept to a minimum.) While I understand the Ministry's need to develop a data base which is essential for proper long range planning, I expect that acquiring this information wi 11 be timeconsuming and could cause pol icy implementation delays that wi I I prove frustrating to Northwestern Ontario centres. Northwestern Ontario representation on this Committee is important as it is apparent that although we share common goals across the province our priorities differ. For example, reducing parent fees, which remains NWO's top priority, is of lesser concern to southern representatives who have increasing staff wages as their key priority. Transitional grants to municipal centres is primarily (although not exclusively) a northern issue. It is clear that the transitional grant program must be viewed separate and apart from the new direct grant program. • Clearly, the implementation of direct grants wi I I be welcomed by our non-profit centres Ealthough efforts to improve the �amount of the grant must continue). At • tnis point, it is uncertain what the direct grant wi I I mean for Indian Band centres but, hopefully, this wi I I be clarified in future meetings. The transitional grant to municipal centres is, of course, a separate issue. I wi I I try to keep you informed about the work of the Funding Advisory Committee through this newsletter and/o~ special memos to cenfre supervisors. I would sincerely welcome your feedback and suggestions of areas of concern that I should be raising at this Committee. POLL: MAJORITY SUPPORT CHILD CARE [Reprinted from the Day Care Advocate] Close to 2/3 of Canadians support government funding of day care according to a pol I by Angus Reid Associates. The questions on day care were part of a major public opinion survey of women's and family issues commissioned by Southam News and conducted between January 10-13, 1987. Sixty per cent of men and 66% of women agreed that "governments should provide funding to ensure that everyone who wishes to use qua I ity day care can do so". Although the pol I found I ittle difference between women and men on issues involving women and the family, it did indicate a generation gap. Seventynine per cent of respondents between 18 and 34 years support more pub I ic funding of chi Id care. Among those aged 35 to 54, 60% want more funding, while for those 55 and over, the figure is 43%. GOOD NEWS! Day care is expanding in Northwestern Ontario. Little Lions Day Care (Thunder Bay) has expanded to a ful I day care program with 32 spaces. Little Lions previously operated a nursery school program for 16 children. 0 ° Central Day Care is a new centre in Thunder Bay with 39 I icensed spaces. Lakehead University, after many years of effort by many people, wi I I soon have day care on campus. The LU Day Care Committee hopes to open their Nanibijou Day Care Centre in early January. 0 Plans are progressing wel I for the Red Rock Day Care Centre, who look forward to opening their Centre in early 1988. 0 ° Confederation College continues to expand day care services and are in the early planning stages for their Hub Model. These recent developments are certainly encouraging - we hope they are just the beginning of a trend. �Monday, October 26, 1987 "Absolute deadline" promised by Epp only weeks away Child-care plan still in need of approval OTl'AWA (CP> - After months of delay, the federal government's proposed child-care system still hasn't received cabinet approval even though the "absolut~ deadline" JAKE EPP promised by the .. health minister ••• studying bow is only weeks away. to present plan" Health Minister Jake Epp said in June the "absolute deadline is finalization at the first ministers' conference." Prime Minister Brian Mulroney and the premiers are to meet Nov. 26-27 in Toronto. Epp will only say the government is studying the ~t way to present its child-are proposaJ. off but that's not to say it's not an active ment officials are holding up the process ~•we want to do it in the spirit of issue, because it is," said John Soar, as- with concerns about costs. Meech Lake," he said in an interview sistant deputf health minister in charge Westlake met finance officiala last last week. But he declined to explain of social semces. spring and said they worried the eo&ta of further. a child-are system would k~ rising A federal-provincial agreement bas . GIVEN TO PROVINCES unless a limit were set. already missed several deadlines. Once cabinet approves the proposal, it Susan Peterson, director of social polOriginally, Ottawa and the provinces goes to provincial social services min- icy in the Finance Deparbnent, would were to have come to terms by the end isters for study before the plan is made not comment on the iaea of a limited of June. Then Epp said just the federal public. fund. . proposal would be ready by the end of Lynn Westlake, co-ordinator of the But Soar said problems between the June. Canadian Day Care Advocacy Associa- Health and Finance deparbnenta have After the Meech Lake constitutional tion, said she fears that Finance Depart-1 been resolved. accord began eating into cabinet's time, . Westlake fears "all the compromising Epp said the proposal would be ready in since then ~ been done by Health and the fall. Welfare, not by Finance." Now, delay is blamed on a free-trade ButFinanceandatleastfiveotherdepact with the United States which bas partmenta with an interest in a childdominated cabinet meetings. care system - Treasury Board, Status "There clearly hasn't been enough of Women, Employment and Immigratime for the ministers to finish the thing tion, Indian Affairs and the FederalProvincial Relations Office of the Privy Council - are still studying the proposal, Soar said. "There are some complexities that have to be resolved," he said. Soar said the proposal could still clear all necessary channels before the November conference but things may have to be speeded up. (J\ t ( � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Northwestern Ontario Day Care News, October 1987 Subject The topic of the resource Organizations Description An account of the resource Northwestern Ontario Day Care News October 1987. Includes information about NWO Regional Day Care Committee Steering Committee; day care news for Fort Frances, Marathon, Dryden, Geraldton, and Red Lake; Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care Conference and Lobby; National Day Care Conference Child Care : Meet the Challenge hosted by The Canadian Day Care Advocacy Association; Ministry of Community and Social Services Funding Advisory Committee; Day Care Advocate poll on child care; Thunder Bay Little Lions Day Care, Central Day Care, Lakehead University, Red Rock Care Centre and Confederation College. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Northwestern Ontario Regional Child Care Committee Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1987-11 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Northwestern Ontario Regional Child Care Committee: under copyright. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context nwodcn_87oct Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Canada - Ontario - Thunder Bay Canada - Ontario - Fort Frances Canada - Ontario - Marathon Canada - Ontario - Dryden Canada - Ontario - Geraldton Canada - Ontario - Red Lake Canada - Ontario - Red Rock https://digitalcollections.lakeheadu.ca/files/original/e23aa4709690189236fdca102a64f06d.pdf 90de9e75df8545da77b55495edb8c5d8 PDF Text Text NORTHWESTERN ONTARIO DAY CARE NEWS October 1990 DAY CARE NEWS is a forum for the sharing of information between day care groups throughout the region, as well as providing information about what's happening on the federal and provincial scenes, both in terms of governmental policy/legislation and advocacy groups' activities. We hope that this newsletter will combat some of the isolation that day care workers and advocates feel and that through the sharing of resources, ideas and action plans, we can develop strategies to ensure the growth and strengthening of quality day care in our region. We welcome submissions to this newsletter from every day care centre and committee throughout Northwestern Ontario. Please send articles, news clippings, letters, etc. to Box 144, Thunder Bay, Ontario P7C 4VS. ****************************************************************** WHAT'S IN THIS ISSUE? CONTENT PAGE A New Government Leads Child Care Into The 90,s 1 Zanana Akande, New Minister of Community and Social Services 2 Staff Shortages in North Western Ontario 3 Three Cabinet Ministers From Northwestern Ontario 4 Dryden Day Care News 5 Quality Child Care Provides Enriched Learning Environment 5 Fall Forum and Lobby of M.P.P. 's, Nov. 7 & 8 7 Upcoming Events 8 1991 Membership 9 A NEW GOVERNMENT LEADS CHILD CARE INTO THE 90'S On September 6 the people of Ontario made history by electing a New Democratic Party Government. This historic moment means new challenges for the Child Care Community. For the first time the elected government has a party policy that reflects what child care advocates have been saying. Advocates have long said that Children in Ontario deserve a child care system that ensures they have access to universally-accessible and comprehensive child care where there are no barriers due to cost, age, hours, geography, culture, language, disability or other special needs. �• The compatibility of the NDP's policy statements and what advocates have been saying means that we may see a light at the end of the tunnel.it gives us a great deal of optimism. This does not mean that we can stop lobbying or informing people about child care. What it means is that child care advocates must be even clearer in what they want. There is a government in Ontario that will now listen. They believe in a comprehensive child care system and campaigned on that issue in the 1987 campaign. They will want to implement a comprehensive system, not just band-aids. Members of the child care community must present to the government exactly what they want. Do we want child care in the school system? Do we want a Ministry of the Young Child? How do we want child care funded? Presently the child care system is under the Ministry of Community and Social Services, do we want it to remain there? These are just a few questions that we must come to consensus on. Your first opportunity to have input into the new government will be on November 7 and 8 in Toronto. The Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care is holding their Fall Forum and Lobby with the M.P.P. 's at this time. ( see Fall Forum and Lobby later in this newsletter) The 'U-TURN' proposal will be presented to the Forum for participants input. This document will also be available at N.W.O.R.D.C.C. office by October 2 5. 1990. If you would like a copy please call 807-3458803. ( please leave your name and address on the machine) ZANANA AKANDE, NEW MINISTER OF COMMUNITY AND SOCIAL $ERVICES The new Minister of Community and Social Services has been described as an educator, a community activist, an outspoken advocate for children, women, the poor, and the homeless and a democratic socialist. Years of activism to effect social justice for all prepare her for her new role. The Minister is well-known and respected throughout Ontario as a gifted speaker. workshop leader and presenter at educational conferences, programs. meetings of professional womens' groups and community organizations. She has also taught at the University of Toronto, York University and prior to being elected was Principal, the George Syme a Community School in the City of York ( Toronto Area) . Her many community activities have included serving on the Ministry of Community and Social Services Advisory Committee on Childrens' Services. She now represents the riding of St. Andrew-St. Patrick. Please welcome the Minister to her new responsibilities and remind her that child care deserves special attention by writing to her: The Honourable Zanana Akande Minister of Community and Social Services Hepburn Block Queen's Park Toronto, Ontario M7A TE9 �October Page 3 STAFF SHORTAGES IN NORTHWESTERN ONTARIO One of the major difficulties in the remote regions of the province is obtaining qualified staff and keeping them. This problem has recently become acute in the Northwest. From 1986 to the present the turnover in Supervisors in the region has been 50% in Native Child Care Centres and 72% in the small regional communities. Several have turned over two or three times during this time period. Child care centres located outside the Thunder Bay area find it difficult to attract ECE graduates for teach positions. Some reasons for the shortages of qualified staff are: 1) The threat of closure (1983-1986) took it's toll and some workers sought other jobs or went back to university; 2) The uncertainty of the future of day care in their community may have discouraged students from taking ECE; 3) Some workers who graduated in the late 70's and early 80's are now raising children of their own and staying home for a few years; 4) Low wages; 5) A greater degree of professional self esteem is available in other fields; and 6) High worker mobility in Northwestern Ontario, therefore leaving community because of spouse's employment. Recently the Native Communities in Northwestern Ontario expressed interest in the concept of Confederation College delivering an Early Childhood Education Program directly to their reserves. As a result of these inquiries, the college held a series of Native Early Childhood Education Conferences to gain the Native Community's perspective on the provision of E. C. E. training. Conferences were held in Sioux Lookout, Kenora, and Thunder Bay. These Conferences produced a great deal of information on: -how much interest communities have for E.C.E. training on reserves, -which communities may be interested, -program models on how to deliver training, -issues related to the delivery of training on reserves, -recommendations on how the college should proceed in a number of areas related to delivery, curriculum, support for learners, and other areas as identified by participants. As a result of these conferences and the recommendations in the report of the conferences, the expectations and enthusiasm for an on-site pilot project has been created. Seven Native communities expressed and interest in becoming possible pilot project sites for September of 1990. Unfortunately, no funding was made available this September. Is this another case of receiving input from the community and then shelving the information? Seven Native Communities would like the answer to this question. �October Page 4 Many child care advocates feel that one of the solutions to the staffing shortage should be that Early Childhood Educators in Ontario should receive a Pay Equity Grant directly from the Government of Ontario. This could be done through Proxy Comparisons with municipal governments for a Regional Wage Adjustment, of through Proxy Comparisons with the Provincial Government for an Average Wage Adjustment. A recent study showed that higher paid ECE provided higher quality care ie) wages have a direct correlation with quality care services, Therefore Pay Equity Grants would serve to consolidate the existing Child Care System. Existing Child Care Programs would be strengthened. High turnover rates would stabilize--an average ECE only stays in the field for three years. A higher wage will keep qualified staff in the field longer. Stable staffing is another indicator of Quality Child Care. Higher wages would attract those ECE who have left the field, back into the field, thereby alleviating trained staff shortages. Pay Equity could be a solution. The growth of child care in the Northwe·st is in a precarious state. Service delivery to many communities has been non-existent. Of the 171 communi~ies in Northwestern Ontario, only 20 provide child care services, with 6 additional communities having nursery school opportunities for children. The child care community in Northwestern Ontario must communicate our concerns regarding the availability and the staffing of child care centres in Northwestern Ontario to our M.P.P.s. Now is the time to meet with the M.P.P.s, to ensure that they understand and remember the special circumstances of child care in Northwestern Ontario. THREE CABINET MINISTERS FROM NORTHWESTERN ONTARIO As of September 6, we welcome and congratulate the new M.P.P. from Port Arthur Riding, The Honourable · Shelley Wark-Martyn, who is the new Minister of Revenue. Congratulations also to those returning to office: Lyn McLeod, M.P.P. for Fort William Riding, Frank Miklash, M.P~P. for Kenora Riding, Gilles Pouliot, M.P.P. for Lake Nipigon and the new Minister of Mines, with responsibility for Francophone Affairs, and Howard Hampton, M.P.P. for Rainy River and the new Attorney General. As you will note Northwestern Ontario has a very strong voice in the Cabinet. It is important that we keep in touch with our M.P.P. 's. The three Cabinet Ministers will have extremely �October Page 5 heavy agendas. While they may be more favourable to a comprehensive child care program, they will also be busy with other things. It is up to us to ensure that child care is not forgotten. Some things that you can do are to write and congratulate all the members. This can be done creatively with the children helping or with a letter from your day care. You should also remember to invite them to visit your centre. DRYDEN DAY CARE NEWS: by Lynn Carlson Karen Sourtzis, Day Care Supervisor has returned from a one years leave of absence. Karen has since married Spuro Sourtzis on October 6, 1990, in Thunder Bay. Congratulations Karen! A contract was signed between architect (Osburn, Cotnam and Belair) and Horst Lang Construction Ltd., clearing the way for the work to begin on a new Resource Building in Dryden. The new Centre will include a Day Care Centre for 48 preschoolers, an integrated Nursery School Program that serves approximately 60 children and a Toy Library/Resource Centre. Expected completion date is June 1991. Future plans are to integrate the Day Care Program and to offer a Home Day Care Service to meet the needs of infants and school age children. Currently the Centre's enrolment capacity is 45. To improve the quality of the program and to ensure that the needs of the individual child and his/her family are met, the schedule has been divided into two separate programs. This makes for a much calmer day as for any large group activity such as lunch, outdoor play etc. is not 24 children. Three full time Early Childhood Educators work with each group. QUAL.ITY CH.ILD CA.RE LEA.RN.ING .ENV.IRO.NZ<-1'ENT PROV.ID.ES .ENR.ICH.ED By Teresa Legowski Although I had some trepidations, my daughter was eager to begin Junior Kindergarten. She had been par ti cipa ting in a child care program on a part time basis, which had a Waldorf philosophical slant. Of course, to me, this is a quality program: child and play centred, emphasizing the seasonal nature of the world and full of lyrical stories, "natural" toys and an importance placed on crafts. The staff child ratios is one to five. Before I decided on a junior kindergarten program I asked a teacher friend of mine if she could recommend a particular JK teacher and she did. It turned out that the school where this teacher worked was in the area where my daughter would go to school, so I considered this lucky. Entering the junior kindergarten program showed a world of difference when I compared �October Page 6 it to my daughter's child care experience: activity centres designed to handle tiventy children so that one teacher could manage, each centre play oriented but designed to limit the number of children participating at each, programming geared to the lowest common denominator, requests for parent volunteers to help, much less individual attention, more cut and paste and less craft type activities. Welcome to the elementary school system! I have had the opportunity to speak with my daughter's teacher on several occasions now and I admire her experience and rapport with the children and their parents. She is an excellent teacher. But she readily admits that although play is the best way by which children learn, that JK and SK are the only programs in the elementary system in which it is offered, all be it in a very structured environment. She admits that to organize a play centred learning environment for children takes a lot of time and commitment from a teacher. Such a task is a heavy responsibility for just one teacher. So, for me it comes down to two things: Quality education is based on the teacher/child ratio and a play centred learning environment. Both these are favourable in child care centres. Child care centres offer quality education for children in an enriched environment. So my daughter goes half days to JK and three half days a week to child care because I do not want her to lose that enriched learning experience. Just as an example, my daughter took a piece of scrap material, some thread and a needle (which I helped her thread) and sewed a very simple skirt for herself. She is four years old and learned how to do this at her child care centre. I feel sad when I see that other children have not had this opportunity, simply because these quality child care programs are not universally accessible. I feel frustrated that my daughter attends a quality program for a half day and a mediocre program for the other half. As a parent, I want to see quality child care programming across the board for all children. I want to see one government Ministry responsible for all children so that this double standard can be eliminated and that all children will have the same opportunities. I firmly believe that the standards for child care by far excel the standards for the same aged children in the elementary school system, and that these are the standards that should be implemented and enforced (over-ruling local Boards of Education), if child care does eventually become an extension of the school system. �• October Page 7 FALL FORUM AND LOBBY OF M.P.P.S, NOVEMBER 7 AND 8 IN TORONTO Individuals attending this Forum and Lobby will have the opportunity to have input and hear what others have to say about the 'U-Turn' proposal that is being recommended by the executive of the Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care. This proposal would turn the funding for child care on its head. Rather than it being a user-fee system, propped up with Government subsidies of various forms, as it is now, it would become primarily a Government-funded service and the recovery of costs would be separately administered. This is an exciting concept and needs vast circulation and discussion in the next few weeks. The resulting paper will be presented to the new Government as the direction that we, in the child care movement, would like to see the new Government take. The U-Turn paper is the major focus of the Forum but, workshops on the following topic areas will also be offered. 1) The Child Care Network as a Lobby Group 2) The Computerization Project 3) Child Care Review: The CCR: A new method for child care program evaluation 4) Child Care Overdue: Billing the province for funding long overdue. How does it work? How can your child care program participate? 5) Child Care Staffing Caucus: A strategy session for child care staff. 6) Activities and Projects of the New Network. What's in it for you? How to use the new services to help your program: accounting; insurance; manuals _;; training programs and more. 7) The Annual Child Care Cycle: An Overview for Boards of Directors and Child Care Administrators. 8) Pay Equity of the Art of Achieving the Impossible: A Balance Sheet for child care staff. 9) The future of Child Care Under The New Democrats. On November the 8th a Lobby of M.P.P.s will take place at Queen's Park. For those of you who have not taken part in a lobby, this is an opportunity to meet other child care advocates from across the province and with 2 or 3 others meet with an M.P.P. or Cabinet Minister. This is a great learning experience. If you would like to attend the Forum and Lobby or want a copy of the 'U-Turn' proposal. please call the N. W. O. R. D. c. c. office (807-475-5243). There are some subsidies available for the Lobby and Forum in Toronto. �• October Page 8 U.PCO~ING EVENTS If you have an upcoming event please let us know. We will try to let you know about conferences etc. in advance. It is a good idea, to keep this information so that at budget time your centre will know the type of things that are offered throughout the year and can budget appropriately. We try to negotiate travel subsidies in our budgets, so the cost to your organization is not as great. Please let us know about upcoming events. 1990 November 7 and 8--Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care Annual Fall Forum and Lobby Tqronto 1991 January 18. School age Workshop, "Meeting Their Needs" 9a. m. to 3:30 p.m. Airlane Hotel, Thunder Bay Sponsored by the Association for Early Childhood Education Cost $50 Contact Debbie Dubeau 344-2465. January 19, Next meeting N.W.O.R.D.C.C. Council in Thunder Bay March 1 & • 2 tentative date for our Spring Forum March 22, Infant Care Workshop 9a.m. to 3:30p.m. Airlane Hotel, Thunder Bay. Sponsored by the Association for Early Childhood Education Cost $50 Contact Debbie Dubeau 344-2465. April or May, Spring Conference-Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care September 25, 26, 27. -Thunder Bay--The conference hotel will be the Valhalla Inn. Al though the conference is Private home Day Care. plans are to ensure workshops and sessions for all persons involved in child care are available. For example: administration. native and francophone, centre base re: infants. toddlers. pre-school age will be some of the key areas addressed. If you have any suggestion or ideas, pleas fonvard them to Sandra Livingston. Children's Services CoOrdinator 86 S. Cumberland St., Thunder Bay, Ont., P7B 6G7, telephone 625-2183. October Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care-Fall Forum and Lobby �' October Page 9 1991 MEMBERSHIP At the 1988 Forum a membership structure for the Northwestern Ontario Regional Day Care Committee was approved. Memberships are now available. Membership categories are: Category A: Municipal Councils/Indian Band Council; Day Care Centres; Professional Organizations; Regional Associations; Labour Unions. Fee: $50.00 Category B: Parent Groups, Voluntary Community Organizations. Fee: $25.00 Category C: Individuals. Fee: $5.00 To join, please complete this application form, detach and return to: N.W.O.R.O.C.C. P.O. Box 144 Thunder Bay, Ont. P7C 4V5 I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I / I I 1991 MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION I believe in the purpose of The Northwestern Ontario Regional Day Care Committee and I wish to become a member. Signature Name: _______________________ Address: _____________________ Postal Code: ___________________ Phone Number: Category: - - - - - -Fee A_ _ B_ __ Enclosed ----- C --- ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, Thank you for your support. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Northwestern Ontario Day Care News, October 1990 Subject The topic of the resource Organizations Description An account of the resource Northwestern Ontario Day Care News October 1990. Includes information about the elected New Democratic Party Government and Zanana Akande Minister of Community and Social Services; focus on child care for Northwestern Ontario including child care staff, ECE graduates, Native Early Childhood Education, and child care centres; elected MPPs Lyn McLeod, Frank Miklash, Gilles Pouliot, and Howard Hampton; day care news for Dryden; Quality Child Care Provides Enriched Learning Environment by Teresa Legowski; Fall Forum and Lobby of MPPs in Toronto with Ontario Colalition for Better Child Care and the U-Turn Proposal. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Northwestern Ontario Regional Child Care Committee Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1990-10 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Northwestern Ontario Regional Child Care Committee: under copyright. 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