917 10 13078 https://digitalcollections.lakeheadu.ca/files/original/b7ec5779fa8ad801ff5bf1068f80ab19.pdf 9f829eb671fff8a957202156b1cca8c0 PDF Text Text II • - 4 Northwestern Ontario Day Care JUNE 1987 News NWO DAY CARE NEWS is a forum for the sharing of information between day care groups throughout Northwestern Ontario, as wel I as providing information about what's happening on the federal and provincial scenes, both in terms of governmenta I po I icy / Ieg is I at ion 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 RE-CONVENING THE FORUM - A SUMvlARY Northwestern Ontario regional day care representatives met in Thunder Bay on Apri I 24-25, 1987, to continue the process of collective Northwestern Ontario action to ensure the security and development of day care services in our region. The Forum began with reports from al I regional representatives, including the viewing of the video that the Geraldton Parents' Group produced. Delegates reported on the various local campaigns that had been organized fol lowing the September Forum, which involved massive letterwriting campaigns and telegrams to Premier Peterson, the Honourable John Sweeney, and Ioca I MPPs and MPs, as we I I as various local events to raise pub I ic awareness and enhance commun i'ty support. The comprehensive action taken by many communities was very impressive and produced position results. As Committee Chair Fiona Karlstedt told the gathering, "It was your letters, your petitions, your videotapes, your lobbies, your action that resulted in our meeting face-to-face with John Sweeney, Minister of Community & Social Services, to discuss our concerns fol lowing our September Forum. Although we didn't achieve our first goal - to get the provincial government to rescind the withdrawal of the indirect subsidy we can take credit (even if we can't prove it conclusively) for the implementation of the transitional grant which ensured the short term financial stab ii ity of our existing day care centres. We have proven that by working together, we can have an impact, we can make a very rea I difference. It's an uphi I I struggle most days, but if we al I stand together and don't lose sight of the broader and deeper vision of the ends to be served, we wi I I succeed in our efforts." The Forum was a hard-working session with workshops for Municipal and NonProfit day c~re people on Friday afternoon, and Commerc ia 1. Issue and Workers' Concerns workshops Friday evening. The Commercial Issue workshop participants viewed the video "Chi Id Care: The Price of Profit" and discussed the imp I ications of public funding of for-profit day care. Carrol Anne Sceviour, Director of Human Rights, Ontario Federation of Labour, was the guest speaker at the Friday evening dinner. Carrol Anne discussed labour's role in day care and the value of bui Iding coalitions to achieve day care goals. Saturday morning was information-gathering time with Julie Mathien (a Board member of the Canadian Day Care Advocacy Association) speaking about federal pol icy and the problems posed by the recommendations of the Special Committee on Chi Id Care. Sue Colley (Executive Coordinator of the Ontario Coal it ion for Better Day Care) then provided a provincial perspecti~e and discussed both short term and long term prov inc i a I issues that d-ay care �groups must address. These sessions provided Forum participants with a comprehensive information base from which to develop Northwestern Ontario action plans. At lunch Saturday, lain Angus, MP for Thunder Bay-Atikokan, and Forum delegate, briefly addressed the gathering, indicating the value of continued advocacy by community groups to ensure that day care is adequately considered within the busy and diverse political agenda facing al I politicians. Saturday afternoon participants divided into workshops to plan Northwestern Ontario action for the next six months. Commitments were made by delegates for action in their local communities by (1) participating in the "Countdown for Child Care" petition campaign, and (2) planning local action in preparation for the forthcoming provincial election. The Forum resolved to send telegrams to Prem·ier Peterson, the Honourable John Sweeney, and Northwestern Ontario MPPs (1) to advocate for provincial direct grants to non-profit (including municipal) day care services, and (2) to oppose the provision of public funds to for-profit day care. In order to strengthen the ongoing work of the Northwestern Ontario Regional Day Care Committee and to ensure more active involvement of regional representatives, Holly Rupert <Red Lake), Phy I I is Ke! lar (Fort Frances), Brenda Rikkonen (Thunder Bay), Judith Mongrain (Thunder Bay), Diane Sarrazin (Geraldton), Naomi Vodden (Marathon) wi I I join core Committee members Fiona Karlstedt, Liz Poul in, Joan Wi I Iiams and Margaret Phi I I ips in directing the activities of the Committee for the next six months. The Forum wi I I re-convene in the early fa! I of 1987. NOTE: If you wou Id I i ke more deta i Is about the workshop discussions and action plans formulated at th~ Apri I Forum, contact your Centre Supervisor who has a fu I I report. ( In Thunder Bay, contact Joan Wi I Iiams (Thunder Bay Advocates) at 767-9582.) NORTHWESTERN ONTARIO DAY CARE STUDY The two reports detailing results of the surveys of Northwestern Ontario Day Care Services and Northwestern Ontario Day Care Workers undertaken by our Committee are now available. We feel the reports provide a very useful data base from which long term planning - locally and regionally can begin. The Day Care Services report wil I be sent automatically to each person who completed the centre survey. Additional copies wi I I be available to any Northwestern Ontario person who wants one. The Day Care Staff survey report wi I I be sent to al I respondents who provided us with their name and address. Extra copies wi I I be sent to al I Centre Supervisors. Additional reports wi I I be available from the Committee (Box 144, Thunder Bay, Ontario P7C 4V5). A very sincere thank you to everyone who participated in the study. We hope it wi I I be helpful to you. ONTARIO COALITION FOR BETTER DAY CARE 5TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE & LOBBY Advance notice of the Coalition Conference and Lobby to be held November 6,7,8 and 9, 1987 has been received. We really hope to have a large delegation of Northwestern Ontario day care people attend this year's conference and lobby. Set aside the dates November 6 - 9, 1987 and p Ian to attend. LONGLAC Lots happening in Longlac. A Parents' Night was held in May where everyone enjoyed a delicious home-made supper. While the children watched fi !ms, the parents I istened to Supervisor Agnes Vincent explain the cha I lenges and concerns facing day care at present, viewed the video, "The Price of Profit", and discussed future letter-writing plan~. The children of the Long lac Day Care Centre recently sent an artistic, creative message to the Honourable �131 Mr. Sweeney. A col I age of children's drawings of their families was ~ent to the Minister with the message: ments put forward largely echoed those we al I made to the Special Committee on Chi Id Care last year. "Dear Mr. Sweeney: These families of the Long lac Day Care Centre would I ike to see direct grants implemented to maintain adequate funding to support the continued qua I ity care that exists at this centre. Our children like it here." The first presenter was Doug Miranda, the provincial NOP candidate for the Kenora riding. He spoke of the role day care plays in meeting the enrichment needs of children in smal I communities in which few other recreational programs are avai Iable. At the same time, he stressed that day care is an employment equity issue; when chi Id care is not available it becomes the key barrier to women entering the workforce. Miranda added that shift work is a fact of I ife in the North, yet our day care services do nothing to accommodate workers on this schedule. Longlac participated in the "Countdown for Chi Id Care" campaign, and future plans include having a booth at "Summerfest" in July. CHILD CARE: THE PRICE OF PROFIT The NWO Regional Day Care Committee has purchased the video "Chi Id Care: The Price of Profit" which is an excel lent vehicle to use to promote discussion of the commercial issue. This video is avai Iable for use by any Northwestern Ontario day care group. CHILD CARE UNDER DEBATE: REPORT ON THE CHILD CARE FORUM, DRYDEN, APRIL 21, 1987 - Holly Rupert On Apri I 21, representatives from the Ontario Federation of Labour brought their pre-election campaign on chi Id care to Dryden. They met local labour leaders and spent the morning discussing the commercial issue on the . local open I ine radio program. The real purpose for the visit was the evening forum on chi Id care sponsored by the OFL and the Ontario Coal it ion for Better Day Care. I participated as the OCBDC representative. About 25 people attended the forum and three formal briefs were presented to t'he pane I. While Carrol Anne Sceviour, the chief OFL spokesperson, reiterated concerns about public dollars going to commercial operators, this was not the focus of the forum from the standpoint of the other participants. Instead, the argu- Carol Wicks, President of the Women Teachers' Federation (FWTAO) in Kenora, was the first of two teachers to speak. She opened with the FWTAO pol icy statement on child care ratified in March 1987, which stated that al I children should have access to chi Id care programs with parents determining the level of each chi Id's participation. Wicks discussed the merits of establishing day care centres in schools as a way of improving the continuity of care, particularly for junior and senior kindergarten children. She also pointed to a successful pilot project for latch-key kids which the Windsor Board of Education has undertaken. She noted that, to date, none of these program improvements has been considered by the Kenora Board. The third brief was presented by Julie Notta, a Family Studies teacher at the Dryden high school. She pointed to the need for more day care spaces in Dryden and, I ike Carol Wicks, she felt the Board of Education could play a role in providing those spaces. Her discussion centred on a cooperative chi Id care program offered in the school setting and tied to senior Family Studies chi Id development and parenting courses. In this program, the Grade 11 and 12 Family Studies students become day care "teachers" who regularly interact with the children, under the s~pervision of their teacher and the centre supervisor. Pi lot programs have been successful in other communities, notably London, Ontario. �In the past, such programs have been funded by the Ministry of Community and Social Services. Julie Netta saw this model as a useful way to provide nonprofit spaces, while working toward the neighbourhood hub model for child care services. When asked for my comments, I stressed that it was the continuing uncertainty of the provincial pol icy that was causing much anxiety for the municipal centres throughout the region. Centres which had manageable to healthy enrol 1ment have lost ground because of the uncertainty over fee increases. Bui Iding confidence among parents wil I take time. I ~lso stressed that lobby efforts can have a powerful impact and it is important not to underestimate that power. The efforts of the Northwestern Ontario Regional Day Care Committee on the indirect subsidy issue are the best case in point. It's valuable any time more than two people gather to talk about the day care issue. After the formal briefs were presented, there was a lot of worthwhile discussion around the day care issue. It was especially encouraging to identify some new supporters in Dryden and Kenora. thanks to Doris Rossi for her work in organizing this effort. (2) Countdown for Chi Id Care: This national petition campaign appealed to the federal government for direct funding to non-profit centres, rather than the tax credit system. The campaign culminated with local organizers across Canada stapling the petitions to a green ribbon and sending them off to Ottawa to be presented to the Prime Minister on June 18th. Hopefully, this demand for action wi I I positively affect the federal pol icy promised for the end of June. Loca I I y, our "Countdown for Chi Id Care" event took place June 13th at Waverley Park, - where 500 balloons were released high into the air by local dignitaries and children. (3) Ontario Coalition for Better Day Care: May 24, 1987 Meeting. This Counci I meeting was most interesting and informative with a variety of workshops offered and issues discussed. Ruth Wei Is was replaced on the Executive by Joan Wil Iiams. Discussions with others revealed once again the vast differences in municipal policies, as we! I as disparities in provincial pol icy and practices from one centre to another, and served to further reinforce our urgent need for a comprehensive, unified system. THUNDER BAY ADVOCATES - UPDATE PROVINCIAL POLICY (1) OFL Forum: The Ontario Federation of Labour has been working closely with chi Id care advocates to lobby the government to take responsibility for the chi Id care cr1s1s. To provide concerned people with an opportunity to voice their concerns and views, forums were held across the province during Apri I and May. A pub I ic forum was held in Thunder Bay on Thursday, Apri I 23rd, just prior to our own Northwestern Ontario Regional Day Care Forum. Thunder Bay Advocates provide~ their support and assistance in the organization of the Forum. We appreciate the priority given to the "Kids Not Cash" campaign, and we wish to extend our The long-awaited Ontario pol icy paper on day care, "New Directions for Child Care", was tabled in the legislature by the Honourable John Sweeney on June 4, 1987. "It's the first good news regarding day care in ten years" was Margaret's initial react ion. We hope we aren't being overly optimistic but from the statements reported it does appear that the government has I istened to the recommendations that parents, workers and other day care advocates have been putting forward. Mr. Sweeney stated "The government of Ontario has stated its commitment to �. . . bui I ding a comprehensive chi Id care system in this province - one that recognizes chi Id care as a basic pub I ic service, not a welfare service." He also acknowledged that" ... chi Id care is a necessity ... it is also essential to make the equality of women in the workforce a realizeable goal". Mr. Sweeney talked about bui Iding "a comprehensive, integrated and affordable chi Id care system" and how the new moneys the province expends "wil I be used to strike a balance between expanding the availabi I ity of services and improving the affordabi I ity and stab ii ity of services". wi I I cial that care The initiatives out I ined in the pol icy paper include: DRYDEN - UPDATE Direct operating grants to nonprofit day care in this fiscal year Change to income testing (from needs testing) in 1988-89 Capital funding for non-profit day care for new construction and renovations Child care spaces in al I new school construction Projects to strengthen Boards of Directors and involve parents in child care decision making and management. The major problem is that insufficient funds are being al located to really produce a comprehensive system. SO OUR MJVOCACY WORK IS NOT YET DONE! However, the direction of the pol icy seems positive and, hopefully, our future discussions with Mr. Sweeney and other politicians can focus on re-bui Iding a QUALITY system, rather than our consistent crisis problems of the past (and present). The Northwestern Ontario Regronal Day Care Committee plans to do a thorough analysis of this pol icy paper. We have concerns stil I about the commercial issue (which the paper indicates be conditional on federal - provinnegotiations). We are also concerned the province implies that "informal" is part of the "system". We have asked Ministry to forward a copy of "New Directions for Child Care" to al I Northwestern Ontario day care supervisors/administrators and parent group representatives. We would be pleased to have your feed-back about this paper. If centres, communities or individuals want additional copies of the paper, you could ask your local MPP to obtain them for you. Parent meetings are being held once a month; an Executive was elected in May to plan activities and fundraising events. In June the children gathered at the local radio station to record "Children of the Day Care". The song was played at the Town "Safety Night". The children have been invited to sing their song to residents of Patricia Gardens, fol lowing which tea and dainties wil I be served. Al I but three parents were able to attend a Bag Lunch picnic on June 15th. Bal loons were blown up and released to mark the local "Countdown for Child Care" campaign. The event received good press and radio coverage. June 19th was "Circus Day" at the Dryden Day Care Centre with the children performing various circus acts for their friends and parents. Fundraising activities of the Parents' Group include a raffle, and a Clown Face-Painting event held June 27th. In July the puppeteer from "Fraggle Rock" wil I be in Dryden to put on a show for day care children and parents. CONTRIBUTORS TO THIS ISSUE INCLUDE Holly Rupert, Karen Warbin, Joan Wi I Iiams, Agnes Vincent, Margaret Phi I I ips and Fiona Karlstedt. � 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, June 1987 Subject The topic of the resource Organizations Description An account of the resource Northwestern Ontario Day Care News June 1987. Includes information about NWO Regional Forum; Northwestern Ontario Day Care Services Study and Day Care Staff Study; Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care Conference and Lobby; day care news for Longlac and Dryden; Child Care: The Price of Profit video; Child Care Under Debate: Report on the Child Care Forum, Dryden, April 21, 1987; Thunder Bay Advocates for Quality Child Care; Ontario policy paper "New Directions for Child Care". 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 1987-06 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_87june 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 - Longlac Canada - Ontario - Dryden 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/c59885f14fbc442819ee528b66e0bc5c.pdf b01fd833f764b73ab53d9bafe3c970b7 PDF Text Text ·Narth\Nestern Ontario Day Care News May 1988 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 art~cles, news clippings, letters, etc. to Box 144, Thunder Bay, Ontario P7C 4V5 N.W.O.R.D.C.C. Membership Structure out NWORDCC work. Your 1988 Council members are: (*denotes executive) Leila Daciw (Thunder Bay, F), Sharon Hart (Thunder Bay, F) Heather Hawkes (Thunder Bay P), Fiona Karlstedt* (Thunder Bay, P), Phyllis Kellar (Fort Frances), Veronica Kreidl (Marathon), Wilma Molinaro (Red Rock), Paula Nelligan (Thunder Bay, F), Anita Price (Thunder Bay, P), Brenda Rikkonen* (Thunder Bay F), Holly Rupert* (Red Lake), Diane Sarrazin (Geraldton), Eva Shields (Atikokan), Donna Wasykowski* (Fort Frances), Marilyn Wells (Sioux Lookout), Janet Wilkinson (Sioux Lookout). The Forum also approved a membership structure and fees. Membership categories are: Category A: Municipal Councils/Indian Band Council; Day Care Centres; Professional Organizations; Regional Associations; Labour Unions. Fee: $50.00 and The growth and maturation of the Northwestern Ontario Regional Day Care Committee prompted your Steering Committee to recommend a more formal structure for our organization, which was adopted at the Regional Forum in February. A COUNCIL of fifteen representatives (three from each provincial political constituency) will direct the activities of the organization and will meet (at least) three times per year. An EXECUTIVE of five (one from ·each political constituency) will meet as required between Council meetings to carry Category B: Parent Groups, Voluntary Community Organizations Fee: $25.00 Category C: Individuals. Fee: $5.00 A membership Committee has been iormed, and a membership campaign will be organized. Details about how YQ.\!. can help with the membership campaign will be sent to you at a later date. CONTINUED ... �• -2Your membership Committee is looking for a logo to appropriately represent the NWORDCC. Your ideas (designs) would be welcomed. ... please send them to Veronica Kreidl, Box 998, Marathon. The first meeting of your new Council was held March 19 and an extensive agenda was productively covered. Issues dealt with included direct grants, the Funding Advisory Committee, federal policy, day care workers qualifications and (our) budget. Priorities established for 1988/89 are (1) weighting factor; (2) Funding Advisory Committee; and (3) membership campaign. REGIONAL NEWS GERALDTON Submitted by Diane Sarrazin Teachers and children have been busy visiting the community. Tour of Dane ff' s Food Market, tour of the Royal Bank, spring walk looking for pussy willows, tour of the fire station, and visit from the ambulance. We are looking forward to visiting our local OPP detachment and MNR fire base in the near future. During May we hosted a Mother's Day Tea and eighth Family Night Supper. Due to recent government grants allocated to the centre and the Rural Resource Program we have purchased a computer which we hope will be set up soon with our school age children. RED ROCK Submitted by Wilma Molinaro On Sunday April 24, 1988, Red Rock Day Care Centre hosted an "Open House" for the public to come and see the new Centre. The Day Care is located in the basement of the new library expansion and has just been newly-renovated. Over 100 people _ attended the Open House and M. P. Ernie Epp and Mrs. Epp drove in from Thunder Bay to see the new facility. Ruth Wells, Program Supervisor from the Ministry of Community and Social Services and her son Andrew also attended. The Day Care has children attending since May 2nd and the Centre can accommodate 2 o children. Anyone wishing to see our new centre is more than welcome to come by. Our phone number is 886-2568. The Official Opening ceremonies for the centre will be held June 7th. We continue to have a long waiting list especially for the children ranging from 4-6 years of age. FORT FRANCES Submitted by Phyllis Kellar The Fort Frances Day Care and Child Development Centre is still full with a long waiting list. Town Council has made a decision about the direct grant and has decided that this money will be paid in 1988 as a direct ea·rned bonus payment, for the Day Care Supervisor,- Teachers, Cook and substitute staff. CONTINUED �-3- The Day Care staff enjoyed taking part in the picture book campaign and many thanks for the photo copy of our contribution to the picture book. We had a successful Mother's Day Luncheon at the Centre. The children made cards, gifts and corsages for their moms and made dinner for them which they all enjoyed. It was a successful event with 71 in attendance. MARATHON Submitted by Veronica Kreidl Things are going well here at the centre. We received a grant from the Trillium Foundation for $12,600. The money will be spent on toys, equipment, supplies and on staff development. We have also received the direct · grant from COMSOC. • This money will be used to increase staff salaries which everybody is thrilled about. ineffective and do nothing for child care. We re-iterated our position that quality child care will only be provided by the expansion of the non-profit sector, and expressed concern with the government's unprecedented support to commercial day care operations. We pointed out that the representations by Northwestern Ontario day care people to the Special Committee on Child Care had been ignored, and the federal strategy does not address our recommendations for a comprehensive, high-quality, nonprofit child care system. We recommended that the proposed strategy be abandoned and be replaced by a national strategy with clear objectives and criteria that will ensure that all Canadian families have equal access to licensed child care services, and that the federal government provide adequate financial resources to the provinces to ensure a comprehensive child care system is developed. We presently have 98 children in total registered in the Marathon Day Care program. This is great to see. Copies of our position paper are available.· .. just write us at Box 144, Thunder Bay, P7C 4V5. FEDERAL POLICY The Federal child care policy must be stopped. Contact your MP and MPP today to express your concern. In response to the federal government's National Strategy on Child Care, the Northwestern Ontario Regional Day Care Committee prepared a position paper which was sent to Prime Minister Mulroney, Health & Welfare Minister Jake Epp, opposition critics, and all Northwestern Ontario MPs and MPPs. The focus of our paper was that the proposed strategy was regressive; the new Child Care Act would have the effect of restricting rather than expanding child care spaces; that tax measures will be The Tory way ... No Way' �. -4DIRECT OPERATING GRANT The long-awaited Direct Operating Grant has been implemented (retroactive to January 1, 1988) by the Ministry of Community and Social Services. For many years, the Northwestern Ontario Regional Day Care Committee, (and others) have advocated for the direct grant, and we welcome the news that the grant is "in place". The implementation of the grant is, however, not without its problems, and the impact of the direct grant must-be monitored. The first priority for the use of the direct grant is to increase existing staff salaries and/or benefits and to increase payments to (PHDC) providers. However, the Ministry's guidelines provide for "special circumstances" whereby a municipality/Board of Directors may make application for an exemption, and use the grant for other purposes (e.g. reducing transitional subsidy). It is unfortunate that the guidelines have provided "exceptions", as this is leading to considerable inconsistency in the use of the funds across the province. What should have been a tremendous morale booster for all day care workers is, for some, having the opposite effect, and may result in further inequities. We are pleased to note _ that many Northwestern Ontario centres have applied the direct grant to wages and benefits. But it is very discouraging to learn that several centres are not intending to use the grant for this purpose. Whether or not the direct grant works well is dependent on the goodwill of the municipality/Board of Directors (and in some cases the union). Serious inconsistencies in ' the implementation of the direct grant can only augment the problems of our troubled child care system. WE STRONGLY URGE YOU TO MONITOR THE SITUATION AND KEEP THE N.W.O.R.D.C.C. INFORMED OF THE WAY THE DIRECT OPERATING GRANT IS BEING USED IN YOUR COMMUNITY. Your information is essential for the NWORDCC to be able to make recommendations to the Ministry to improve the process. The Ministry's guidelines concerning the grant are outlined in a booklet entitled Child Care Direct Operating Grants, Guidelines and Procedures: Non-Profit Sector. Your municipality/Board of Directors should have received this booklet. Or obtain a copy by contacting your Area COMSOC office. Many people have expressed interest in learning the "formula" for direct grant funding. The following excerpt from the Ontario Coalition for Better Child care newsletter provides an example of the funding formula. What is "The Formula" ror Calculation or The Direct Operating Grant? Complete details about the funding formulae can be obtained from the Guidelines, but it might be of interest to indicate how the formula works with a practical example. Essentially, the formula weights factors of age, h9urs of operation, and months of service, with a point system, the result of which is then multiplied by a dollar value IO determine the annual (or quarterly) granL (Operating Capacity X Age Weightings) X Months Open = Total Points On an annual basis, a centre with an enrollment of 10 infant, 15 toddler and 32 pre-school children which operated from 7:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. for twelve months of the year could expect to receive: For Infants: oo Infants x 36 Points} x 12 months = 4,320 POINTS l For Toddlers: CJ5 Toddlers X 24 Points) X !2 months = 4,320 POINTS = 5,760 POINTS l For Pre-school (32 Pre-school X !5 Pojnts) X 12 months l The point value allowed to this centre totals: 14,400 POINTS In 1988, each point is valued at S4.12 for the year. As a result, in this example, the centre would receive a direct grant, divided inro quarterly payments of $14,832. and IOtalling $59,328 for the year. �-5Take pride that your advocacy has helped in making direct grants a reality, but realize that continued advocacy will be required to develop the comprehensive and adequately funded child care system we deserve. the major Canadian child care organization was an object lesson for all who attended the Conference. The need for increased political action by all day care advocates is very clear, and delegates left the lobby determined to redouble their efforts to achieve appropriate day care policy. C.D.C.A.A. CONFERENCE Rejection of the federal government's "National Strategy on Child Care" was the unifying force that dominated the second National Child care Conference held in Ottawa in April. Sponsored by the Canadian Day Care Advocacy Association the Conference brought together over 500 delegates from across Canada, including six Northwestern Ontario representations. Day care workers, parents, administrators, educators, advocates from Newfoundland to the Yukon were united in their opposition to the federal strategy and determined to take all possible action to reverse this policy. The federal government's lack of concern for child care was evidenced by the Prime Minister's and senior cabinet members failure to accept the C.D.C.A.A.'s invitation to attend the Conference to receive the "Picture Book" which had been compiled by day care groups across the country (see article on our contribution to Picture Book Campaign page 7). It was further evidenced when no senior government member attended the lobby. The Conservative backbenchers who did attend the lobby were, however, given a very clear message, as delegate after delegate rose to explain why the federal policy failed to meet their community's need. The unwillingness of senior Conservative members to meet with While the federal strategy was the key issue for all attending this well organized conference, delegates also participated in a series of informative workshops, and developed new networks that will strengthen our community work. FREE TRADE FORUM The Threat to Non-profit Child Care in Canada (reprinted from the Toronto star, April 21, 1988) This fall, while Canadian and American trade negotiators hammered out final details of the free trade agreement, child care advocates fearfully speculated· about the future of child care in Canada. It was rumoured that new federal proposals would flow funds to commercial child care businesses, encouraging American companies to cross the border to operate in this country and ending our ability to create our own high quality child care system. Speculation that the free trade agreement would include human services as tradeable i terns further fueled these concerns. The details of both the free trade deal and the federal child care strategy are now public. The potential effects of • the combination are alarming. �-6- U.S. Child Care Policy Child care policy in the United States is more poorly developed than that of any of the industrialized (and many nonindustrialized) countries; indeed, the United States even lacks a national maternity leave policy. An effort to establish a national child care policy failed with former President Richard Nixon's veto of a major bill in 1971, and an attempt to upgrade federal child care standards was derailed in the late 1970s. There is no provision for funding child care services per se and in President Ronald Reagan's era, subsidies for low income children have become almost impossible to secure. In the absence of a national policy and public fund, child care in America is viewed as a commodity sold in the marketplace. The gap is partly filled by businesses that primarily aim at the middle class market. Increasingly, these are operated by a few multi-million dollar corporations with substantial venture capital and the capacity to expand into new market. Currently, our federal government imposes no barrier to the establishment of American child care businesses in Canada nor to the subsidization of families using these services under the social assistance provisions of the Canada Assistance Plan. Some provincial governments have established their own criteria. Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Quebec and Nova Scotia have limited the growth or support of commercial services; other, such as Alberta, have encouraged and heavily subsidized commercial operations. The recently announced federal proposals set a dangerous precedent. For the first time, provinces may use federal funds to fund businesses directly and provide subsidies in commercial programs more easily. Child care advocates fear that this will act as an incentive to American companies, with their large pools of capital, to locate in Canada. Government Denials Throughout the fall, Barbara McDougall, Minister Reponsible for Women's Issues, and Welfare Minister, Jake Epp, said that child care had been explicitly excluded from the free trade agreement. Indeed, it is not listed as a tradeable service in the provisions of the trade agreement that specifically deal with services. Interpretations of other portions of the agreement, however, suggest that it could be impossible for a provincial government to deny U.S. entrepreneurs access to public funding for child care in Canada. Further, the agreement could make it impossible for a government to deny American companies funds available to other child care programs, even capital funds. Trade observers believe it likely that one section, Clause 2011 could give rise to a pressure point against the development of a nonprofit child care system. The impact of the free trade agreement on the development of a child care system in Canada is a matter of interpretation and conjecture., There are, however, red flags that ind:1.cate danger, and we would be well-advised to heed them. For Canada, child care, like health care, education and other human services, should not be a trading matter-free or otherwise. Martha Friendly Child Care Resource & Research Unit University of Toronto �( Modern Living .l Childcare picturebook makes way to city -7- {the <£hroniclc-3fournal • _ By JO-ANS MIHALICH Chronicle-Journal Staff _!aturday, April 9, 1988 :· -·- \·. ~-..., t -, . . · •• 21 I : . ~/. . The Northwestern Ontario Region'arDay Care Committee and the Thunder Bay Advocates for Quality Child Care will be 'throwing the book' at Ottawa this month to denounce the government's national strategy on child care. The two groups are taking part in a picture book campaign to highlight their opposition to the child care plan. Co-sponsored by the National Action Committee on the Status of Women and the Daycare Advocacy Association, the campaign provides an opportunity for the public to demonstrate support for the development of a comprehensive child care system. ' • At a press conference Thursday night at the constituency office of MP Ernie Epp CNOP-Thunder BayNipigonl, committee council member Anita Price unveiled the large • binder-type book. The picturebook - to be on display in Ottawa April 22 - has been moving across Canada MPs ERNIE EPP AND IAIN ANGUS WITH ANITA PRICE, RIGHT gathering pictures and messages ... display giant photo album travelling across Canada along its way. Price says Prime Minister Brian ularly for. infant care, schocl-a~ government's national strategy on Mulroney has been invited to attend tion or the financial resom:ces to programs, emergency care an child care. prepared by the N.W.O. the opening of the exhibit and will achieve a comprehensive child care services for shift-working familie system. Regional Day Care Committee. receive their message that the Tory she said. As well. many comm, She said during the federal study child care strategy will impede the The child care strategy's provinities are without any child ca1 development of child care in Canada sion for spaces and the tax measures by the special committee on child services and require a range of pr, and should be withdrawn. are of major concern to both groups. care. many N.W.O. people made grams. • ''The federal government needs to With a demonstrated need for one presentations in Dryden and Thun''The needs of N.W.O. can be m1 know how parents. early childhood million spaces this yeitr, PriC-' says der Bay. N.W.O. presenters consisby a significant infusion of gover1 the proposed 200,000 new spaces educators and concerned citizens tently advocated for a comprehenment spending - the spending in tt feel about the national strategy on over seven years is "clearly inadesive. high quality, non-profit child form of direct operating and c:ipit, child care,·· said Price, in her adquate.'' _ care system. grants to non-profit day care organ dress. . N.W.O, reps did not recommend •·our recommendations to the spe.zations." In presenting Epp and MP Iain tax measures. Tax deductions will cial committee stressed our desire Referring to the national chi! Angus <NOP-Thunder Bay-Atikodo nothing to create new day care _ for the federal_government to give care strategy, Angus said the Torie kan I with a copy of the N.W.O. conspaces. Price argues that tax credits leadership and support to the prov"blew it." ''do not address the issue of quality tribution to the book, Price said. inces and territories with adequate The politician said the' govern "We as your constituents, call upon care and do not make care more affinancial resources to provide the ment didn't establish national objec you to take action and see that the fordable or available." comprehensive, high quality, nonlives in which federal money woul< national child care policy be re-eval''Another issue we felt was not profit system that we need." uated." properly addressed is the support of Presenters also stressed quality The N.W.O. contribution includes the commercial sector. We are ap- - be available for child care spaces care and the need for workers to be snapshots of interviews with those in palled by the unprecedented support ( The government should have ere trained in early childhood education ated a fixed number of spaces ai the day care industry and with early to commercial day care operations as well as the issue of adequate well as placed funding at an ad childhood educaticn students of Conthat the strategy implies." wages. Price feels that the N.W.0. equate level "that'makes it accessi federation College. Within communities currently oprepresentations were ignored !:>y the ble regardless of income." Price also presented Epp and Anerating programs, the need for exspecial.committee., She says the In the 1984 election, Epp said thE gus with a brief in response to the • strategy does not provide the direcpansion is apparent, most particNOP "pressed hard" to institute , national child care program and hi: govern~ent w!ll continue the figh· for quality child care. Angus saic day care very well could be a "na tional platform" for the NOP in thE next federal election. "We see it as the social issue oJ our time," Epp said. The picture bo.ok campaign launched in Toronto on Feb. 'r/ and has since travelled to Newfoundland and Laf>rador, Nova Scotia New Brunswick, North York, H~arst, Sault Ste. Marie and Thunder' Bay. The book's next destination is Sar- ! - ....: .. L - I'! . . - I • • ,...., • �·--~-S~ .sJ. )-\j \L\j\i~ -8- Non-profit • day-care does the best job study shows By Leslie Fruman Toronto Star Children in non-profit centres in Metro get better day care than those in centres run for profit, a government study has found. The. study found that commer· cial centres violate the Ontario Day Nurseries Act and fail to meet minimum standards far mor1r often than non-profit centres. , "I think it's very clear that in major issues, commercially operat• ed centres aren't operated as well," study author Sharon West said. "You could say they're not as· good," said West, who was hired,by the Ministry of Community and So- . cfal Services for the review. :, ., .:, .. ·The study, done at The Star's re-: quest, found that from March;.: 1987, to February, 1988: • .:: Almost 54 per cent of com- •• mercial centres failed to hav~ enough qualified staff as required by the act, compared to 15 pet . cent of parent- or community-run . non-profit centres. F.ive dlffeuqt kinds of non-profit centres were 1n; eluded In the study. • .•~ •. • □ Commercial centres took long• See NON-PROFTr/page AlO a Non-profit centres do best in study Continued from page Al er than other centres to correct staffing problems. Ninety-rive per cent of nonprofit centres with parent or community boards solved staff short· ages within six months, compared lo 77 per cent of commercial centres. In fact, 11 per cent of commercial centres still had staff shortages after 10 months. □ Parents at commercial centres complained more than twice as often as p.1rents at other centres about the way they were run. The study found 33 per centof. commercial centres had complaints lodged against them, compared to 13 per cent of non-profit centres. •Of 133 complaints iodgec) wfth the' province, 99 ot them were . ' .. about commercial centres. Al- centres were each visited 3.2 though commercial centres repre- times. sent only 42 per of the centres 'i>rovam adivsers spent more studied, they received 74 per cent of their time at commercially of the complaints. operated centres than non-profit □ Commercial centres more parent/community board operatoften than non-profit centres had ed centres, and most of this time restricted licences because of act was for quality-control reasons," violations. While 21 per cent. of the i:eport ..ays. commercial operators had shdrt.· The findings come on the heels of term licences, only 6.8 per cent of- announcements by ·Ottawa and non-profit community-run centres Queen's Park that commercial had the same type of restricted li- ,. centres will receive government cence. · •• · • ·• ~ _; aid for the first time. □ Commercial centres were:· · Though the study shows com· visited. mare often by. the minis- . mercial centres have the worst· try's program advisers because of record, it also reveals that not all problems or complaints than any ' non-profit centres are the same. other type of centre. • It shows that non-profit centres The study shows commercial run by churches or by boards that centres were each visited an av.er-. -~ don't include parents don't meet age of 4.7 times. while non-profit · \tthe requiremeqts as often as those parent or comp_1unlty 6oard ~ereparents-!iave a say. . � 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, May 1988 Subject The topic of the resource Organizations Description An account of the resource Northwestern Ontario Day Care News May 1988. Includes information about Northwestern Ontario Regional Day Care Committee structure and membership; day care news for Red Rock, Geraldton, Fort Frances, and Marathon; NWO position paper to the federal government's National Strategy on Child Care; Direct Operating Grant; Canadian Day Care Advisory Association Conference; Free Trade Forum and the U.S. Child Care policy. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Northwestern Ontario Regional Day Care Committee Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1988-05 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Northwestern Ontario Regional Day 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_88may 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 - Red Rock Canada - Ontario - Geraldton Canada - Ontario - Fort Frances Canada - Ontario - Marathon https://digitalcollections.lakeheadu.ca/files/original/98ca2b4d14ac40013cc574962f0ba0f8.pdf 6964e2e0c15f87bc96f5eac8fdb4fb1b PDF Text Text ·· Northvvestern Ontario Day Care FEBRUARY 1989 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 FEDERAL CHILD CARE ACT Well, the federal election has come and gone and we are back at square zero with the federal child care plan, Thanks to concerted efforts of child care advocates from across Canada, and vigorous opposition from Liberal and New Democratic Party Members of Parliament, the Child Care Act (Bill C-144) was stalled and the Act died at the election call. Child care advocates breathed a sigh of relief. Our joy was short-lived however. With a majority government the Conservatives appear to be determined to reintroduce their regressive child care legislation. Consequently, our efforts to oppose this legislation must be renewed. It is perhaps useful to summarize the experience that occured with Bill C-144, and understand the process and ways we must intervene when the legislation is _stgain introduced. Following the report of the Special Committee on Child Ca~e (the year+ long, $million+ exercise) the federal government announced the National Strategy on Child Care. This "strategy" was immediately critized by the day care community (and others) and lobbying efforts, including the Picture Book Campaign were carried out. (It must be pointed out that the "National Strategy" was even more regressive than the Special Committee on Child Care's inadequate and regressive reco~mendations.) Totally ignoring the opinions of child care experts, the Conservative government transposed its str~ ategy paper into proposed legislation which went thro~gh the following process: (1) First Reading in the House of Commons; (2) Second Reading in the House of Commons; (3) referral to House of Commons Committee; (4) Committee hearings; (5) Committee report; (6) Third Reading in House of Commons; (7) legislation to the Senate; (8) Senate Committee hearings. At this point the election was called and the legislation died. Strong criticism of the legislation was made in the House of Commons by the opposition parties at every possible point in this process. Community opposition was voiced with interventions at the House of Commons Committee hearings and the Senate Committee hearings, and with on-going lobbying of Members of Parliament, media events and public education. CONTINUED ... �2 ♦ .., The Northwestern Ontario Regional Day Care Committee undertook: position paper responding to National Strategy participation in the Picture Book Campaign communication with all N.W.O MPs re Strategy meetings with Thunder Bay Atikokan & Thunder Bay-Nipigon MPs participation in CDCAA lobby telegram to Prime Minister Mulroney opposing legislation telephone calls/letters to NWO MPs urging opposition to legislation request to appear before the House of Commons Committee hearings (we were not chosen to appear) on-going communication with NWO MPs re opposition to legislation telegram urging Senate Comm. hearings request to appear at Senate Committee hearings (not chosen) on-going public education All this action was directed to the federal level, but we took action at the provincial level as well. We have sent telegrams and letters to the Hon. John Sweeney urging Ontario to reject the federal plan, and we have had on-going communication with NWO MPPs in this regard. Opposition to the federal child care plan continues to grow. The most recent critique comes from the government's own advisory group the National Council of Welfare ' (see separate article). Along with the C.D.C.A.A., every local and provincial day care advocacy group, ~omen's organizations, labour organizations, teachers federations, and many other national and local groups are strongly opposing the legislation. In face of this extensive opposition we must ponder why the government refuses to listen to the people most knowledgable and concerned about the issue. When questioned during the election TV leaders debate about why he did not liS t en to day care advocates P.M. Mulroney's response was "why should I ... " This arrogant response forewarns us of the difficult task we have before us. It seems likely that the Child Care Act (in identical or similar form) will be again introduced when Parliament resumes in February or March. It will be necessary to redouble our efforts to ensure this legislation is scraped or significantly amended. We must acquaint our new N.W.O. MPs with our position and encourage their opposition to the Bill. Please take every opportunity to talk to your MP about this urgent issue. . ... GOOD NEWS CHILDCARE The Tory way .. .No Way' The Northwestern Ontario Regional Day Care Committee finally has an office! And soon we will have a telephone and an answering service. We are (almost) settled in the . office space at 281 Bay Street. For the time being the office will be staffed on Mondays and Tuesdays. Our phone number will be 345-8803. �3 PROVINCIAL UPDATE Direct Operating Grant The direct operating grant has • been implemented. For some centres the direct grant flowed smoothly, quickly providing much needed wages increases for staff. In other instances the implementation was slow and laborious. In certain situations the employer utilized the "exception" clause, and the grant was not directed to wages and benefits. Information gathered by the Northwestern Ontario Regional Day Care Committee in the fall of 1988 (with app. 80% of NWO centres reporting) show the following breakdown: 72% of centres applied 100% of the direct grant to wages and benefits; 14% of centres applied a portion of the grant to wages; while 14% did not apply the grant to wages/benefits. Our observations are that the major problem concerning the implementation of the direct operating grant was created by the province allowing exceptions to the wages/benefits priority. Because certain day care organizations chose to not direct any of the grant to staff wages/benefits the wage disparity of Northwestern Ontario day care workers has widened significantly. Other problems mentioned were that information concerning the direct operating grant was not equitably provided to those impacted ~y the grant (i.e supervisors, workers, and, in some cases, unions. The interrelationship between the direct operating grant and pay equity also requires clarification. The Northwestern Ontario Regional Day Care Committee made recommendations to the Ministry through the Funding Advisory Committee, as follows: (1) That where significant wage disparities exist (based on regional norm and/or provincial standards) the Ministry instruct day care organizations to direct the 1989 direct operating grant to wages and benefits only. (2) That full information about the direct operating grant be given to day care supervisors, workers, and where applicable, unions. (3) That full information about pay equity provisions, and the implications of the direct operating grant on pay equity be provided to municipal day care supervisors, workers and unions. (4) That day care organizations be assured, in writing, by the Ministry that the direct operating grant will be on-going. * (5) That administrative procedures be simplified as much as possible. (6) That efforts be made by the Ministry to speed up the approval process. * This has been confirmed. A letter from the Hon. John Sweeney, Minister of Community & Social Services states (in part): "I would like to assure you that the existing direct grant program is open-ended, that the funding is ongoing and eligible for the annual economic adjustment that is provided for all base ministry programs." Income Testing 7he implementation of income testing has experienced several delays and is now planned for 1990. The Ministry is currently studying the impact of income testing. They hope to produce a discussion paper by summer 1989, with policy options. The N.W.O.R.D.C.C. will urge the province to consult with the day care community in this process. �4 EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY The Corporation of the Town of Geraldton requires DAY CARE CENTRE TEACHER Qualifications: E.C.E. Diploma or equivalent education plus experience will be considered. Bilingualism, while not a required qualification, would be considered an asset. Qualified candidates should forward their application stating personal history, education and experience to: While the focus of this problem has been Metro Toronto with its ~ waiting list of 5000, the problem is relatively just as serious in many Northwestern Ontario communities. In Thunder Bay some 800 1000 families are waiting for a day care spa~e ... the municipal program alone has a waiting list exceeding 630. District centres are similarly strained with waiting lists of 40 in Geraldton, 50 in Fort Frances, and 60 in Dryden. It is projected that 75% of those on waiting lists would qualify for subsidy. The expansion of day care spaces in Northwestern Ontario, and the subsidy spaces allocated, are no where near meeting the demand. The province must be urged to address these pressing needs. FORUM 1989 Miss Diane Sarrazin Supervisor Geraldton Day Care Centre /La Garderie de Geraldton Box 70 Geraldton, Ontario POT lMO PROVINCIAL UPDATE Subsidy Spaces The most recent crisis in Ontario child care is the subsidy issue. Across the province waiting lists for new subsidized day care spaces exceed 7000. Despite this crying need the provincial government has announced that it would not pay for any more new subsidized spaces this budget year. Day care advocates are deeply concerned that the province will not adequately address this issue in the next budget year. Plan now to attend the 4th annual Regional Day Care Forum, which will be held in Thunder Bay (Ramada Inn) Friday, March 31st and Saturday, April 1st,- 1989. This FORUM is for day care parents, workers, administrators, ECE students, community activists -- for everyone concerned about the future of quality child care in Northwestern Ontario. Issues that will be addressed include: provincial policy issues - direct opeiating grant, income testing, transitional grants, subsidy spaces; new federal legislation; day care jurisdiction, and more. CONTINuEJ �. 5 •QOALITION REPORT by Anita Price At the December executive meeting of the Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care we discussed federal developments and where do we go from here. It was decided that the Coalition focus should be on th~ Provincial Government to not buy into the legislation. We must press the provincial government to have the FEDERAL - PROVINCIAL negotiations be more open. We, as a group, must focus on what the impacts will be if Bill C-144 is passed. A kit is being prepared that will include the Coalition's brief ' provincial and federal fact sheets, the political parties' positions, lobby instructions, press release, and other helpful documents. This lobby kit is to help people get the information in the ridings. Hopefully we can regionally plan and coordinate a date ... perhaps a week. NATIONAL COUNCIL OF WELFARE REPORT The recent release of 'Child Care A Better Alternative', the report of the National Council of Welfare came as a pleasant surprise to day' care advocates. While many of the recommendations are those that day care advocates have been making for years, the source of the report is encouraging. The National Council of Welfare is a government appointed body, whose mandate is to advise the Minister of Health & Welfare on matters pertaining to welfare. Surely, one would hope, the government would listen to its own advisory group (???) Key criticisms advanced by the Council's study are (1) that the government's strategy was designed to limit federal spending on child care; (2) that the emphasis was on funding parents rather than creating needed child care spaces; (3) that the strategy would fund commercial profit making centres ; ( 4 ) that a~ i mp roved parental benefit policy was lacking from the plan; ( 5) that na tional standards were not spelled out. !!!!:!..!. llCEIISIII CllllD CME sPIIUS MD CHILDlllR Of - 1 • • SIIIIIIIC PMlns, 1•1 P•rclftti,. of th•..,. of llc.nsed Ch11d r.,,_ nvrtier of Chi ldtitft llf'd•r 13 111th Ptret1ts ~ Outstdetho- 18,595 43,1182 5,120 181,531 Zll,4S2 84,586 ,..... 10,516 M.011 58,425 4,503 5,397 1,264 1,318 240 415 16,916 166,151 419,355 44,041 48,298 !PIM. 241,545 llrtt.tstl Colrilt - AlHrt1 S11t1tchewl111 fllnttobe Dflt1rto hew lltvftlwlct ho'fl Scotti PrtM• £ctw.trd Island UW11fa.N11M tlol'tMlt Terrttorhtt 11,US Chlldrett Uflder lJ In lfc.lfflted Child Cue IOI 20 I 1• 12 12 ID II 1• )0,91J8 • ,.,n.11, 131 . FORUM 1989 (continued) Guest speakers, panels and a variety of interesting workshops will give everyone much food for thought. Guest speakers will include Kay Eastham, Director, Child Care Branch, Ministry of Community and Social Services, and representatives of the Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care and the Canadian Day Care Advocacy Association. Detailed FORUM information including registration forms, subsidy information, etc. will be forwarded in a few weeks. One of the difficulties advocates have faced in the child care de~~ bate is overcoming public misconceptions about the reality of the government's funding plans. (To a taxpayer not conversant with the funding implications the announc~ment of $6~illion for child care services seems like a lot of money .... and why are we complaining?) CONTINUED �6 !!!:!..! - 'Child Care, A Better Alternati~e' provides an alternative that "puts .... all available resources into child care services and none into tax breaks". Their recommendations include: R11 QIILD 1-.1917 FISCAL T£M CME, Eioftt'ftlllftt ~ (niffiloi,I) CiMdl AHtstanc1 Pl111 Trttntnt Substcltn • Cl" on lndtan RHIM'H Chi lcl CIN hPIIIH 0NUCt1on . Sulttau1• $131 51 I ill. Slll ,erc,nt.age of Toul 207, 7 I il. sn Pf"O'ftnct1l :. Ttn"ttorhl Clftldl A11t1tuc1 P11n Othv o., Cue Sub11cl1H Child Clf"I lapen11 DNKU• -GUI Slll 207, 17 Ill ~ !!. Slit 47' IOOI IUTM. This study provides some useful documentation that can help clear up some misconceptions. For example , the report describes whatI • I is 'old' money and what is new money. (A fact the governmen conveniently forgets to mention in its propaganda.) 7 The study also graphically d:monstrates the fact that upper income families will benefit the most from the new tax provisions. Families with incomes of $100,000 will have tax savings of $3286, while those with $20,000 will benefit by only $400. Even under the current system 35% of government "child care" spending is on tax deduction that ~a~nly benefits higher income families. The Council, whose focus is poverty and social policy, clearly points out that the lack of d~y care spaces means that the maJority of low income families who would qualify for child care subsidy, in fact, do not receive.it, because there is no space available, On a national basis ~nly 15% of those eligible for :ither a full or partial subsidy in 1987 actually received assistance. I~ Ontario, the figure was only 10%, !.!!!!!.! -- The federal government should reverse its decision to supplement the refundable child tax credit as part of its child care strategy and should use the money instead to increase the supply of licensed child care spaces and to provide more subsidies for maintaining those spaces, The federal government should increase the amount of money available for capital grants to $1.5 billion over the next seven years. Ottawa should not impose any fixed ceilings on the amount of money it is willing to spend to help the provinces and territories cover the operating costs of child care programs. The principles of the new child care system should be spelled out in the Canada Child Care Act, much as the goals of medicare and the obligations of the provinces and territories are spelled out in the Canada Health Act. The federal government should include a "grandfather clause" in the Canada Child Care Act to allow operating grants to existing commercial centres, but no new ones. Alternatively, the government should require that all commercial centres convert to non-profit centres within a reasonable period of time if they wish to continue getting federal funding. A programme of parental benefits should be added to maternity benefits under unemployment insurance. Copies of this report may be obtained by writing to the National Council of Welfare, Brooke Claxton Building, Ottawa,KlA OK9. � 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, February 1989 Subject The topic of the resource Organizations Description An account of the resource Northwestern Ontario Day Care News February 1989. Includes information about the Federal Child Care Act and a summary of advocacy actions taken by the Northwestern Ontario Regional Day Care Committee; details of the new office; Direct Operating Grant; Income Testing; provincial Subsidy spaces; Regional Day Care Forum April 1st, 1989; report from the Coalition for Better Child Care; National Council of Welfare Report. 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 1989-02 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_89feb 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 https://digitalcollections.lakeheadu.ca/files/original/0f2e9581505c836631eec6f1b46e625f.pdf 9ca5b14b14bd8d918eef4434c21326e2 PDF Text Text Northvvestern Ontario Day Care ·Nevvs June 1989 i -- I DAY CARE NEWS is a forum for the sharing day care groups throughout the region, information about what's happening on the scenes, both in terms of governmental advocacy groups' activities. of information between as well as providing federal and provincial policy/legislation and 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 4V5. ***************************************************************** WEIGHTING FACTOR RESEARCH PROJECT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . In 1983 the federal government informed the province that what was known as the "indirect sLtbsidy" must cease, and the provincial government informed the municipalities that the indirect subsidy would be eliminated at the end of 1986. This decision created a crisis for many Northwestern Ontario day care centres, which were heavily dependent on the indirect subsidy, and were threatened with closure if the subsidy was removed. Northwestern Ontario day care officials, parents, workers and advocates mobilized around this issue of the removal of the indirect subsidy and made representation to the Hon. John Sweeney, Minister of Community and Social Services, in order to "save our Northwestern Ontario centres". The Minister responded by providing a transitional grant program to replace the indirect subsidy, which has, temporarily, secured our centres. It has long been acknowledged that service delivery in the North is more expensive than in the south. The transitional grant has helped to cover some of these additional costs, but only to municipal day care centres. The Northwestern Ontario Regional Day Care Committee recognized the need for special funding for all day care centres in the North. They applied to, and were funded by Ontario Women's . Directorate· for the "Weighting Factor Research Project". A researcher, Lee Angus, began work on the project April 1, 1989. A committee of the NWORDCC co-ordinates the project. Other Ministries have developed financial formulas for funding of service delivery in the North. Two of these~ the weighting factor, �Page 2 June 1989 for the Ministry of Education and the unconditional grants for Municipal Affairs, are being analyzed. These programs are being examined in terms of background, factors that are used to indicate need for additional funding, and how the actual formula for funding is implemented. Another portion of the research includes gathering examples of the higher cost of service delivery in the North. Every centre must have at least one example of a shipment being delayed and therefore programmes must be changed or of the high cost of finding staff. Please, we would like to hear about your experiences and frustrations. You can contact Lee Angus at 807-345-8803 or write to the NWORDCC at Box 144, Thunder Bay, Ont.P7C 4V5 to help us with this portion of the research. We anticipate that recommendations for a weighting factor formula for the funding of day care in the North will be ready in the fall of 1989. continuing the tours in the community. Special events planned for this summer include a Parent Tea, a picnic/swim, a Fall Fair (booth and craft competitions), hikes, and the introduction of our computer, etc. Earlier this year we all had fun contributing our ideas and plans towards our proposed extension. The extension will house our , rural resource program, integrated program, art room and toy lending library. The clubhouse model, for our 6-9 year olds, will allow more freedom for this group of children. We hope to expand this program to include children up to the age of 12. Our integrated program has become a full time position, with Nancy Proteau being promoted to this position. Julie Davis will return from maternity leave to become a half time teacher. We continue experiencing a shortage of qualified Early Childhood Education teachers. At the moment we have three full time positions open. REGIONAL NEWS GERALD TON Submitted by The Geraldton Day Care Centre La Garderie De Geraldton Staff The staff and children at the Geraldton Day Care Centre have been busy with special events, such as toboganning, a skating program, snow sculptures, a Beach Day, as well as Recently our centre had a booth at the Kitcheeogamah People Services Fair and we found this to be an excellent opportunity to educate the public in the area of child care services in the area. A long waiting list, continues to be the norm, especially for the 2 1/2 to 5 year olds. Have a nice summer! �June 1989 Page 3 ****************************************************** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ** EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY The Corporation of the Town of Geraldton Requires DAY CARE CENTRE TEACHER $21,500-$24,500 <Under Review) Responsibilities include participation with children in planned and routine activities and providing a stimulating and nurturing environment one which creates independence and individualism. The Geraldton Day Care Centre/La Garderie de Geraldton is an integrated centre licensed for 49 children which also provides Rural Resource and Toy Library services to the community. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * Qualifications: The preferred candidate will possess skills in working with parents and children, as well as an Early Childhood Education college diploma or AECEO equivalency. Bilingualism while not a required qualification* would be considered an asset. * * * * * * * * Qualified applicants should forward their applications stating personal history, education and experience to: * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Miss Diane Sarrazin, Supervisor, * Geraldton Day Care Centre/ * La Garderie de Geraldton, * P.O. Box 70 * GERALDTON, Ontario * P0T 1M0 * * ****************************************************** P/eQ.:se m 0.y -sAQre +hi$ J..e/F .so ,n eone /-he. Ge,..a.JJ../.on Do.y F"e.sel"I../- -/-irne Th.a.nits are wi./-h o..c:l. +i r, Ctt.. re J. o+Aer-.s. 'fou.. e rry:~ Io)' Ce. fr.e look.inJ m ~" ~ o..r,J_ Ao a.:+- ./-/.. e for '3 s-?-a.# reorle. f\ 1.4,) �Page 4 June 1989 NEW FACILITIES THUNDER BAY Submitted by Playcare Centre Schoolhouse The Schoolhouse Playcare Centre of Thunder Bay has been selected by the Ministry of Education as one of the four Child Care Centres that are located in a school setting to take part in a pilot project. The project will demonstrate aspects of co-ordination that may occur between the child care programs and the classrooms at the school. The project will begin Sept. 1, 1989 and will end by June 29, 1990. A project coordinator will be hired to work closely with the director and staff of the Playcare Centre and the principal and staff of St. James School. Some aims and of the objectives are: -to bring a N.W.O. perspective of the needs of children in both sections -to strengthen the ties between our target school and the existing child care programme in terms of programming, sharing information, and timetabling -to use community, school, Board, and Playcare resources and staff to strengthen our respective programmes -to include parents as vital members of our programme, to ensure maximum interaction among child care, school and home -to keep in mind at all times the needs, interests and abilities of the children involved. Submitted by Anita Price In Thunder Bay at Confederation College we are looking forward to moving into our new facility in September. The spaces we helped to design are taking shape. The steel beams are all in place, the windows are in, and in the next few weeks, the builders will be working on the interior putting up the drywall. We don't have our start up funding in place for the fall, so we will be moving into our new building with the existing programs. We are excited about our expansion to infant and toddler care and feel confident that the set up of the new building will facilitate a family atmosphere. Each of our 2 sections will offer care to 3 infants, 5 toddlers and 8 preschoolers. The other programs we will be offering are Nursery School for 24 children, After Kingergarten Care for 20 children, 10 spaces for After School Care, and 16 spaces for short term part-time care. The present Community Centre playroom will accommodate 24 children. The playground space is in the process of being designed. �June 1989 Page 5 PROJECT CHILD-CARE Submitted by Barbara Buie, Child Care Co-ordinator, Lakehead Psychiatric Hospital We are presently working towards establishing a Workplace Child Care Centre to serve employees of the Lakehead Psychiatric Hospital and Northwestern Regional Centre. The purpose of the centre is to provide accessible, affordable, and excellent quality child care for the children of employees at these two facilities. An Awareness Day was held on June 15, in the hospital cafeteria, to promote this project. The main objective was to increase the awareness of our proposed Day Care, as well as the whole aspect of quality child-care in the Community. We are working with a positive attitude towards the funding of this project and hope to hear from the Ministry by the end of June. of Community and Social Services for capital costs. The Hub Model will house 48 children, 4 of these with special needs, aged 18 months to 9 years of age. A Private Home Day Care Office, storage, and a toy lending/resource will also be included. A meeting was held with M.P.P. Howard Hampton where we expressed our concerns on day care issues. We wi 11 be meeting with him again in June. Bob Nault M.P. has agreed to meet with us at a 1 ater date. A 1 arge cookie poster was sent to Mr. Wilson, asking for the expansion of funds for child care. We are pleased that approval for a summer student, under the Challenge '89 program, who will work with our school age children was received. Upcoming activities include our Annual Father's Day Luncheon, Day Care Graduation, and entering a float in the July 1st parade. FORT FRANCES Submitted by Fort Frances Day Care Child Development Centre and Both Council and the Ministry have given us approval to go ahead with our new building and we are presently working with architects, Fraser and Browne, on the plans for our new Hub Model Centre. Negotiations are also continuing with the Ministry - / '°VHAT AB04T KANt,1N 6 '? ' .. ...~ ·:•~~ L I �Page 6 June 1989 BUDGET BAD NEWS #1 The provincial budget delivered by Treasurer Robert Nixon on May 17th was a disappointment. There were no new initiatives to address the crisis in spaces/subsidized spaces. A major initiative in the budget is $194 million for kindergarten programs, with all Boards of Education being mandated to provide half-day Junior and Senior kindergarten, and encouraged to provide full-day Senior kindergarten where space is available. This program begins in the 1990/91 school year. What impact will this initiative have on child care? The government suggests that ''the extension of JK and SK programs should help reduce the pressure for additional child care spaces". However, there does not appear to be plans for complementary before, during lunch, and after-school care. Without appropriate ''latch-key' services families will continue to experience child care problems. As well, in an expanded kindergarten program, consideration must be given to appropriate child-staff ratios and teacher training. While generally supporting this initiative, these concerns must be raised to ensure comprehensive and quality care for our children. In response to the report of the Social Assistance Review Committee, the budget also includes initiatives "to encourage economic independence among social assistance recipients", through the Supports to Employment Program <STEP>. Recognizing that "the greatest impediment to single parents working outside the home is the cost of child care" STEP will allow single parents to deduct child care expenses, up to specified limits, from their earned income. (These limits have not yet been set.) While this initiative will offer relief to the target group, it fails to address the more basic problem of the inadequacy of subsidized spaces in licensed day care programs. BUDGET BAD NEWS #2 On April 27, Finance Minister Michael Wilson cancelled plans tq proceed with a National Child Care Program in Canada. Pleading poverty, he has broken federal government promises since 1984 to expand and support the child care system. L �June 1989 Page 7 While we rejoice at the demise of Bill C-144 (the Canada Child Care Act>, we find it deplorable that the federal government has not developed appropriate new plans to fund a comprehensive child care system. We are left with the child care tax measures passed last year which favour high income earners and will not build a child care system. NO MORE BAKE SALES In protest of the lack of action by the federal government re child care a national BAKE OFF was organized in early June by the Canadian Day Care Advocacy Association and the National Action Committee on the Status of Women. The theme No More Bake Sales For Us, Mr. Wilson! illustrates the frustration felt by day care parents/workers who for all these years have been forced to hold bake sales (raffles, etc.> to try to balance the day care budget. Perhaps Mr. Wilson should try financing the deficit with bake sales. Day care advocates from across the country participated in the Bake Off and sent baking to Finance Minister Wilson to demonstrate out point. In Thunder Bay the Northwestern Ontario Regional Day Care Committee joined with the Northwestern Ontario Women's Decade Council to participate in the Bake Off. Mounds of baking were presented to Thunder Bay-Atikokan M.P. Iain Angus who delivered the baking to Mr. Wilson on our behalf. (We understand Mr. Angus carried the baking to Ottawa in the box that had delivered the budget papers ... a further significant gesture!) The NWORDCC's contribution to the Bake Off was stale cookies, indicative of the length of time Canadian families have waited for the federal government to take action on the child care crisis, and crumbled cookies, representative of the broken promises of the Conservative Government. GET THE BUDGET BACK ON TRACK Closely following the Bake Off, we joined another budget protest to "Get the Budget Back on Track''. Representatives of the National Action Committee on the Status of Women, the Pro-Canada Network and the Canadian Brotherhood of Railway Workers, travelled coast to coast protesting the federal budget pointing out that: "Past and present generations of Canadians have developed a unique social contract with their government. Through this social contract, Canadians have claimed their basic democratic rights as citizens to a system of social programs designed to ensure decent employment, education, consumer protection, cultural development, and fair taxation. The current federal government is now breaking that social contract. The Free Trade Agreement has set the stage for �Page 8 June 1989 harmonizing our economy and social programs with the economy and social programs of the United States. The recent Wilson budget serves to accelerate this process. Together, these economic strategies will destroy the investment of past generations in our national and democratic future." On June 9th, about 150 Thunder Bay people gathered at the CPR station with petitions outlining our NWO concerns for the protesting travellers to take to Ottawa. The Northwestern Ontario protest centred on child care, Via Rail and postal service cuts, Air Canada privitization, regressive sales tax, U.I.C., Old Age Security, Family Allowances and cuts to Secretary of State Women's programs. Congratulations go to the Northwestern Ontario Women's Decade Council who spearheaded the Thunder Bay event, which ,was an energyzing rally, complete with protest songs led by the "Raging Grannies". A similar rally was organized in Kenora by Women's Place, Kenora. . . . . . .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 I I I I BUDGET BAD NEWS #3 The Conservative Government's lack of commitment to social development was demonstrated by its cuts to Secretary of State programs. Most seriously affected will be Native and Women's programs. The NWORDCC, which receives our primary funding from Secretary of State Women's Programs, may experience budget cuts of 30-35%. The federal budget is bad news to all of us--collectively and individually. 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 THE C-PET PROJECT ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! I I I I I I I I The Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care proposes to set up the Community and Parent Education and Training Project CC-PET> to provide resource materials to parents, staff and community leaders with regard to starting, operating, and strengthening high quality child care. profit, parent/community board child care services over the last several years has occurred at a faster rate than the infrastructure to support it. Many of these centres have limited access to information, advice and skills. Many parents often experience guilt and frustration, and find it. difficult to sustain consistent involvement. The To aid parents, staff rapid expansion of non- and the �June 1989 Page 9 community the project will: -develop a comprehensive handbook/manual for use by parent/community boards of directors of child care programs, -develop and distribute manuals in close collaboration with a province-wide Advisory Committee drawn from various sectors and regions of the province, -and where possible make materials available in French. This project will develop over an eighteen month period. In future newsletters, we will keep you informed as to when materials will be available for community, board, parent, and staff use. FORUM 1989 Forum 1989, sponsored by the Northwestern Ontario Regional Day Care Committee, with the financial support of the Ministry of Community and Social Services, convened in Thunder Bay March 31st, April 1st, 1989. This Regional Day Care Forum brought together over 60 day care parents, workers, administrators and advocates from across Northwestern Ontario. On Friday evening a Round Table Discussion was held where representatives from Red Lake, Sioux Lookout, Fort Frances, Atikokan, Geraldton and Thunder Bay outlined the major day care concerns in their respective communities, which included: the direct operating grant; expansion of child care programs; expansion of subsidized spaces; quality issues in child care programs; expansion of subsidized spaces; quality issues in child care; relationship of day care and Board/Ministry of Education; recruitment of qualified staff, staff training, and professional development. Kay Eastham, Director, Child Care Branch, Ministry of Commubnity and Social Services, addressed the Forum, providing a "report card" of the province's New Directions for Child Care two years 1 ater. Following Ms. Eastham's address, a productive discussion period occurred with dialogue between the participants and Ms. Eastham in respect to key Northwestern Ontario issues. Federal policy was discussed by a panel Karen Stotsky, Board Member, Canadian Day Care Advocacy Association; Sue Colley, Executive Coordinator, Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care; and Anita Price, Council Member, Northwestern Ontario Regional Day Care Committee. The issues surrounding the federal child care strategy were reviewed, and an overview of action taken by the NWORDCC in respect to the leiislation previously introduced (Bill C144) was provided. Strategy sessions to plan local and regional action followed the panel. A workshop was held to discuss Income Testing. Mr. Bryan Stanish, Manager, Funding �Page 10 June 1989 Unit, Child Care Branch, provided an overview of the status of the Ministry's Income Testing project, and identified issues in respect to 'needs testing' and 'income testing'. Participants outlined problems with the current system, and identified Northwestern Ontario issues concerning the move to income testing. Participants indicated the desirability of comprehensive consultation throughout the entire process of moving to income testing. A workshop on Planning and Organizing for Day Care provided information on various models of day care in Ontario, and initiated discussion on resources needed by day care organizations to ensure effective operations. This workshop is viewed as a first step which requires follow-up to further determine the most appropriate ways to provide training, development and resources to the Northwestern Ontario day care community. The Forum also provided informal opportunities for networking. As well a Tour of several community day care centres provided valuable information for Forum participants planning new programs. 1989/90 Council Members The annual business meeting and Council elections of the NWORDCC were held in conjunction with the Regional Forum. Your 1989/90 Council members are: Barb Buie Thunder Bay Paul Capon Thunder Bay Mary Ducharme Fort Frances Margaret Hajdinjak Thunder Bay Phyllis Kellar Fort Frances Veronica Kreidl Marathon Kelly Massaro-Joblin Thunder Bay Bernice Picard Longlac Anita Price Thunder Bay Holly Rupert Red Lake Diane Sarrazin Geraldton Eva Shields Atikokan Maria Swain Grassy Narrows Gina Valente Thunder Bay Marilyn Wells Siow: Lookout �• June 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. Bex 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 _______ _ Category: A____ B____ _ Thank you for your support. c ____ _ �• Page 12 June 1989 RECIPE FOR CHILDCARE SERVES: ALL CANADIANS INGREDIENTS: -TONS OF HIGH QUALITY -100% NON-PROFIT -SUBSIDIES FOR ALL WHO NEED THEM -GUARANTEED UNIVERSAL ACCESS -GUARANTEED SPACES -FLEXIBLE SPECIAL NEEDS SERVICES PREPARATION TIME: OVERDUE COOl<ING 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, June 1989 Subject The topic of the resource Organizations Description An account of the resource Northwestern Ontario Day Care News June 1989. Includes information about the Weighting Factor Research Project; day care news from Geraldton, Thunder Bay, and Fort Frances; Project Child Care at the Lakehead Psychiatric Hospital; Ontario Provincial budget news regarding subsized spaces and kindergarten; Bill C-144 the Canada Child Care Act and National Child Care; No More Bake Sales national campaign organized by the Canadian Day Care Advocacy Association and the National Action Committee on the Status of Women; budget protest "Get the Budget Back on Track"; Secretary of State Women's Programs; the C-Pet Project; Regional Forum 1989; 1989/90 Council Members and 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 1989-06 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_89june 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 - Geraldton Canada - Ontario - Fort Frances 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/1e787777c5b278de83426575215b5104.pdf 8f8af71feed583a4dbadeeeccc034d0e PDF Text Text "NORTHWESTERN ONTARIO DAY CARE NEWS May 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. ************************************************************** FORUM 1990 WHAT'S IN THIS ISSUE? CONTENT PAGE Forum 1990 1 Forum Follow-up 2 Council Members 3 S for Northern Ont. 3 Regional Reports 4 Meetings with M.P.P. 's 5 Quiz 5 Provincial-Municipal Social Services Review 6 Trillium Funding 6 Ont. Coalition For Better Child Care Conference Report 7 Computers 8 Answers to Quiz 8 Budget Backgrounder 9 Keeping Childcare on the Political Agenda 10 . Membership 11 Forum 1990. sponsored by the Northwestern Ontario Regional Day Care Cammi t tee. with the financial support of the Ministry of Community and Social Services, convened in Thunder Bay March 2nd and 3rd, 1990. This Regional Day Care Forum brought together over 70 day care parents. workers, administrators and advocates from across Northwestern Ontario. At the request of the Municipal Centres a workshop on Friday afternoon focused on the impact of the new guidelines for calculating per diem rates; -identifying local and regional concerns resulting from this directive; -becoming aware of actions planned by local centres- �.. I- Page 2 May 1990 municipalities in respect to the concerns; and, -to consider appropriate regional action. Guests from the Ministry of Community and Social Services participated in this session. The impact of moving to enrollment based parent fees has a great effect on Northwestern Ontario; many are seasonal workers, or shift workers, as well there is a large labour pool that must move from community to community. especially in the construction trades. The other item of major concern is raising the cost to full-fee paying parents. This was a good opportunity for ministry representatives to dialogue with the child care community. One of the major items that came from the session is that there needs to be consistency of information and implementation at the area office level. It is hoped that more opportunities of this kind will occur in the future. The research document, Child Care Funding: An Equity Challenge was presented Saturday morning. This is the final result of what was known the Weighting Factor Project. The report recognized that the present funding system is flawed and calls for a review of the present funding mechanisms and the implementation of a child care system in Ontario that has political will behind it. Workshops were offered on Equity, Board Development, Professional Development. Pay and Throughout the child care community there is agreement that a crisis exists, that the child care system in Ontario is unsatisfactory and must be changed. The Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care has prepared a major Discussion Paper supporting the move to the Ministry of Education, which would help alleviate this crisis. Participants at the conference examined this proposal as it relates to Northwestern Ontario. )FORUM FOLLOW-UP A number of issues were highlighted requiring immediate or long-term action by the Northwestern Ontario Regional Day Care Committee. The federal budget was of serious concern and telegrams were sent to Finance Minister Mr. Wilson and Ontario Treasurer Robert Nixon regarding the federal restrictions imposed on the Canada Assistance Plan. A telegram was sent to Prime Minister Mulroney protesting cuts to Women's Programs in the Secretary of State. Follow-up to the serious issue of pay equity for workers in establishments without male comparators was made through telegrams, letters and participating in the Coalition's meeting with the Minister of Labour. The C-PET project interested a number of delegates and ongoing consul tat ion to receive Northwestern Ontario input and encourage centres to use the final document will continue. The Forum initiated discussion on the issue of child care ■ r �Page 3 May 1990 jurisdiction-the education option and comprehensive dialogue on this subject needs to occur in the coming year. The Northwestern Ontario Regional Day Care Committee will produce a discussion paper comparing the findings of Child Care Funding: An Equity Challenge and the Coalition's Eduction option discussion paper to assist the on-going regional discussion of this topic. The desire for on-going professional development is still a top priority for those in the field. A list of topics was generated and the informal network will continue to keep people informed. The newsletter will also write about note worthy professional development experiences. There is a strong desire to have much of this available in a more structured way. A good time was had by all at the networking evening on Friday night and at the dinner on Saturday Evening. Corinne Russell Eva Shields Rob Stinchcombe Maria Swain Betty Anne West Thunder Bay Atikokan Thunder Bay Grassy Narrows Fort Frances The Council meets two or three times a year to discuss items affecting the day care community in Northwestern Ontario. Along with the discussion there is often action taken by the Council: $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $700.000 To Child Northern Ontario Care In $5000 for each non-profit child care centre in Northern Ontario has been allocated by the Honourable Charles Beer and the Honourable Rene Fontaine. In early February the Ministry of Northern Development and Mines and the Ministry of Community and Social Services announ-::ed that Northern Ontario's 140 non-profit centres would receive $700.000 to help purchase furnishings and developmental equipment. 1990/91 Council Members The annual business meeting and Council elections of the NWORDCC were held in conjunction with the Regional Forum. Your 1990/91 Council members are: Anita Broere Thunder ·Bay Shelley Brown Thunder Bay Lynn Carlson Dryden Joanne Dawes Longlac Mary Ducharme Fort Frances Veronica Kreidl Marathon Teresa Legowski Thunder Bay Jacinta Manitowabi-Brisard Thunder Bay Mary Matys Terrace Bay Anita Price Thunder B·ay Holly Rupert Red Lake All we can say is that this is very nice. It will assist many centres. BUT. it is not what the child care community desperately needs. The children in Ontario deserve suf ficient funding in the first place. not a handout when the whim hits someone. A suggestion regarding political action on this issue. might be to respond to the Honourable Rene Fontaine. Minister of Northern Dev~lopment and Mines thanking his Ministry and pointing out that stable funding for child care �Page 4 May 1990 in Ontario would be better than another band-aid. A copy of the thank you letter should be sent to the Honourable Charles Beer, the Minister of Community and Social Services. $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ REGIONAL REPORTS Dryden is fortunate. The town council is very supportive of child care. Plans are being developed for their new building. which will have 48 spaces and hopefully an integrated license. The Nursery School will also be moving into the new building. Future plans include a Private Home Day Care Program operating f ram the new building and will incorporate the schoolage program. It has been difficult to operate the schoolage spaces as the school-age children must be kept separate. A need for profession development has been identified. A few anxious moments were experienced by the child care community in Fort Frances this spring. With a little lobbying to the Municipal Councillors by parents in the day care and other community groups the crisis was solved and the tender has been let for the new building. Per diem rates have once again gone up. In response to this. a letter was sent to the Honourable Charles Beer regarding the new guidelines. and a reply was received stating that the transitional grant will not be removed. day care. which is operated by a non-profit parent Marathon board requested $8000 from the town council this year, but only received $4000. They will continue to lobby throughout the year to ensure that they will receive more next year. The Community Needs Assessment survey is complete. The expansion has received 100% funding and will have 69 spaces. Application has been made to increase the subsidized spots from 15 to 20 but an answer has not been received from MCSS. Congratulations to Kinderplace Child Care in Thunder Bay who held an open house recently. Infants, toddlers, and preschoolers will enjoy the bright spacious rooms in this facility. The Advisory Committee to the Hunicipali ty of Thunder Bay day care is proposing guidelines regarding full fee paying parents. Rob Stinchcombe reported that Social Services seems not to be opposed to enrollment based day care. Councillor Dusty Miller, Chairperson of Community Services. The Corporation of the City of Thunder Bay. announced on March 22, 1990 that the Comprehensive Child Care Study had commenced. Funding for this project is a joint Provincial -Mu nic ipa 1 venture. The Goal of the Study is: to determine the role of the Municipality of Thunder Bay in delivering child care programs in Thunder Bay and surrounding areas, currently. and within the next ten year period. �., Page 5 May 1990 Jumbo Gardens operates a school age program for children from 812 which . is located in a separate room from the other children. This seems to be working extremely well. Immigrant women. several native groups and day care advocates from Hanitouwadge and Terrace Bay have contacted Northwestern Ontario Regional Day Care regarding establishing day care services. It is with concern that we learn of the shift in philosophy regarding Confederation College's Children and Family Centre. The shift from a community-centred education service to a quasicommercial operation is deeply disturbing. The College has been considered a leader in the child care community, not only in Northwestern Ontario, but also provincially and nationally. The Centre's philosophy of child care, and the development of comprehensive services, is viewed as a model of excellence. The Northwestern Ontario Regional Day Care Committee has written to Jack Stokes, Chairman of the Board of Governors urging the Board of Governors to reverse this decision and ensure that our community will continue to benefit from the leadership and excellence that, in the past, has been provided by the Children and Family Centre. MEETINGS WITH M.P.P. 'S During March and April Northwestern Ontario Regional Day Care representatives met with M.P.P. 's Lyn McLeod, Taras Kozyra, and Frank Michlash. Issues discussed included pay equity, the capping of C.A.P., the new guidelines for municipal centres, and the document Child Care An Equity Challenge. Funding: QUIZ The average industrial wage for workers in Ontario in 1984 was $404.07. What was the average child care worker wage then? (a) $364.68 (b) $314.98 (c) $267.00 What were child care workers' salaries as a percentage of the average industrial wage? (a) 54% (b) 66% (C) 72% The average industrial wage for workers in Ontario in 1988 was $686.80. What was the average child care worker wage? (a) $549.00 (b) $324.00 (c) $444.00 What was child care workers' wages as a percentage of the 1988 average industrial wage? (a) 47% (b) 66% (c) 69% Have child care workers wages risen of fallen in relation to the average industrial wage since 1988? Risen __ Fallen __ By how much? (a) 19% (b) 4% (c) 22% PLEASE GIVE THIS QUIZ TO YOUR HPP, TO YOUR LOCAL NEWSPAPER, TO YOUR NEIGHBOUR AND ANYONE YOU CAN THINK OF! �Page 6 May 1990 PROVINCIAL-MUNICIPAL SOCIAL SERVICES REVIEW The Provincial-Municipal Social Services Review (P.M.S.S.R.) has recently released its long-awaited report. The implementation of the recommendations of this report would have a significant impact on child care in Northwestern Ontario and it is urgent that we study the report and develop a response from the Northwestern Ontario child care perspective. The government has indicated that they will provide their response in six months. While a consultation process has been mentioned, no details have been provided. We need to be prepared. We ask you to: ( 1) Study the report immediately. (Borrow a copy of the report from your municipal office, or ask your M.P.P. to obtain a copy for you. ) (2) Send us your reactions to the report (positive or negative) as soon as possible. (3) Please advise us if your Day Care Centre/Board and /or Parent's Group plans to develop a written response to the report. (4) Keep us informed about the reaction of your Municipal Council to the report (reaction to entire report, not just day care section). (5) Encourage awareness and discussion of the implications of the report. While we (Council, staff) have not yet fully analyzed this report, we suspect that certain Northern realities may not have received adequate consideration. Again we will need to make our Northwestern Ontario voice heard. Your input quickly. is very important and THE DOCUMENT CHILD CARE FUNDING:AN EQUITY CHALLENGE IS AVAILABLE FOR $15 FROM THE NORTHWESTERN ONTARIO REGIONAL DAY CARE OFFICE. THIS DOCUMENT DISCUSSES THE HIGH COST OF THE DELIVERY OF CHILD CARE IN NORTHERN ONTARIO. CALL US AT 3458803 TO ORDER YOUR COPY. PLEASE LEAVE YOUR NAME AND PHONE NUMBER SO THAT WE CAN GET BACK TO YOU. Trillium Funding: The Ontario Coalition For Better Child Care is applying for we encourage you to respond Trillium Funding. Organizations may apply along with them. If you are interested in submitting a proposal, please contact our office at 807-345-88@3 and speak to Lee Angus about this. All submissions must be in prior to June 5, so time is short. Please leave a message on the machine, if there is no answer. �Page 7 May 1990 THE ONTARIO COALITION FOR BETTER CHILD CARE--CONFERENCE REPORT By Anita Price The Coalition Conference was held April 28th and 29th in Guelph, usually just a 45 minute drive from the Toronto International Airport. Barbara Elliott and I went to the conference to do a workshop and to participate in the many interesting activities. We We took a "Red Car" from left the Airport shortly after 6:00. there to go to Guelph. The weather in the Toronto area was unseasonably hot! The 401 in a spot buckled due to the extremes in weather conditions. We spent approximately 3 hours in bumper to bumper traffic most of the journey to Guelph. Once we got to the University Campus, we found our way to the residence and to our room. The weather was just beautiful. We went for a stroll around the campus without a jacket. The nest morning we went for breakfast in the cafeteria before the Council Meeting. At the meeting, many i terns were discussed. The biggest discussion was a result of the educationaloption discussion paper and future action. The Trillium funding and the new membership category was discussed. The Coalition is looking at offering more services to "network" members. therefore they would pay a higher registration fee to access these services. The Council Meeting was quite a long meeting 9 a.m. - 2 p.m., with many members observing. Once the Council Meeting was over, we went over to meet the Minister of Community and Social Services, Charles Beer. He talked about what has happened in child care and what the restrictions are for the Provincial Government due to the cap on C. A. P. We were anticipating that something good in child care would be announced by the Minister at our Conference, but that was not the case. After the session with the Minister, there were a variety of workshops for people to attend. Barbara Elliott and I presented a workshop on Multi-aged groupings, a concept we are promoting and modelling in our new Centre. Once the workshops were over, we had a bit of time to chat with others from across the province as well as people from British columbia and New Brunswick. The next day was as busy and exciting as the first. it started off for me with an Executive Meeting. Then the whole group participated in a session called "The Bear Pit". Margaret Phillips was a panellist from Northwestern Ontario. People spoke of their frustration around day care issues. Workshops were attended after the Bear Pit session. Marion Dewar was the Key Note Speaker at the Luncheon and I had the pleasure of introducing her. she gave a fiery speech about caring for all aspects of children's lives, not only day care issues. She is a very passionate woman with a positive vision. �Page 8 May 1990 After lunch there were more workshops then a wrap up session. The conference was very thought provoking and helped me to see how far we have come and where we have to go. care !@@#$%"&&*( ) > < - : " ? / . , ; I [ ] = COMPUTERS! COMPUTERS! child software for programs in Ontario. Yes, we now have a computer. The Ministry of Community and Social Services funded our Communications Enhancement Project with a grant of $11,700. The 1987 Report on Northwestern Ontario Day Care Workers, indicated the need for a variety of professional development opportunities, one of which was computer training. The Day Care "Network" has vastly expanded since 1985 and our mailing list now exceeds 200 regional people. ( If you move, please let us know so that we can continue to keep you informed with the newsletter.) As you can imagine the computer will greatly assist us in preparing the newsletter and briefs for hearings on child care legislation etc. Many child care centres have branched out on their own with computer systems, whether it be for financial administration, or for the children's use. The Northwestern Ontario Regional Day Care Committee will be surveying all day care centres to determine what systems are in use in the region. This survey will be mailed out to each centre in June. The data from this survey will be used for two purposes. 1) To plan a conference that will allow a unique opportunity for the many volunteers and staff involved with child care to liaise and network with professionals in the communications field. 2) To assist the Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care in developing appropriate, lowcost comprehensive computer The growth in this area has been so rapid that many individuals have not had the opportunity of time to explore this field. With the major suppliers located in Thunder Bay it is also difficult for regional centres to access information with out incurring great expenses. A workshop designed around the modern communications field will increase the networking between the communications experts and between centres that are using similar equipment. ANSWERS TO QUIZ (from page 5) 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. c) $267.00 b) 66% b) $324.00 a) 47% fallen a) 19% Thank you to the Ontario Coalition For Better Child Care for this Quiz. �• Page 9 May 1990 BUDGET BACKGROUNDER By The Ontario Coalition For Better Child Care The Treasurer of Ontario has announced a new budget for child care. The Treasurer announced a 16% increase in child-care spending for this budget year to $386 million. On Thursday, April 26, Minister of Community and Social Services, Charles Beer, made an announcement in the House as a follow-up to the Treasurer's announcement, specifying that: $10 million would be available to assist municipalities $10 million would be available for new community -based and new school non-profit child care programs No announcements were made concerning enhanced salary grants or direct operating grants for child care staff. Our preliminary analysis of the budget indicates: That the budget is really only for $384 million because $12 1. million for Ministry of Education capital has been included in child care spending of 10. 6% over last year's estimated expenditures of $347 million. 2. That new subsidized spaces will be limited to programs which have received MCSS capital and start-up funding in the last year. This means that municipalities wishing to serve parents on their waiting lists in existing programs will have to find the funds out of the additional monies supposedly set aside to assist municipalities "facing extreme pressures" which prevent them from purchasing spaces in the community. 3. That no additional funds are available to enhance the direct operating grant program (over and above an annual inflation rate) and assist with the raising of wages. This is particularly appalling in view of the following facts: Average child care worker wage, 1989 $16,852.00 Child care wages as% of average "47% industrial wage Compared to% of av. ind. wage, 1984 -19% Visiting homemakers and workers in other community-based agencies have received 1990-91 budget al locations to assist in raising wages. 4. In order to maintain its commitment to New Directions, the Government had to increase the budget by at least 30% per year. This meagre 10. 6% increase can only mean that the provincial government has abandoned its commitment to make child care in Ontario a public service. Note: At the Coalition's Annual Conference the Honourable Charles made it quite clear that the Government was abandoning New Directions. �I Page 10 May 1990 KEEPING CHILD CARE ON THE POLITICAL AGENDA It is up to individuals involved with child care to ensure that it remains on the political agenda. Meetings with politicians to discuss your issue are very important. Meet in their off ice or better yet invite them to your centre. they are always looking for a photo opportunity for their householder. which is distributed to the riding three or four times per year. The following news clippings may interest you. Day-care workers demand more pay By John Deverell TORONTO STAR Some of Ontario's 18,000 daycare teachers are showing signs of· rebelling against $9-an-hour wages. Twenty of them, with two dozen kids in tow, took over the labor minister's boardroom yesterday to dramatize their demand for higher pay. They want Labor Minister Gerry Phillips to include them in. the Pay Equity Act. The day-care teachers, nearly all women, wantto be compared with, say, male technicians at the agnculture ministry who get $15 an hour for sorting seeds and tending plants. Phillips' executive assistant hear1 the complaint ana promised a meeting with the minister on Monday. Day-care workers' low wages can't be raised by fee increases to parents "who are having trouble coping already," said Laurel Rothman, a vice-president of the Coalition for Better Child Care. Phillips told reporters later the. problem can't be addressed . through the Pay Equity Act in its present form. The province currently contributes about $2,750 in direct grants toward the average full .. time day-care salary of $16,850 a year. For 1990 the payments will total $60 million, an average of $460 for each of the 130,000 children in licensed day care. �• Page 11 May 1990 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 _ _ _ __ Category: A_ _ B_ __ 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, May 1990 Subject The topic of the resource Organizations Description An account of the resource Northwestern Ontario Day Care News May 1990. Includes information about Regional Forum 1990; 1990/91 Council Members; Child Care funding to Northern Ontario from the Ministry of Northern Development and Mines and the Ministry of Community and Social Services; day care news for Dryden, Fort Frances, Marathon, Thunder Bay, Manitouwadge, and Terrace Bay; meetings with M.P.P.s Lyn McLeod, Taras Kozyra, and Frank Michlash; Provincial-Municipal Social Services review and paper Child Care Funding: An Equity Challenge; updates from the Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care; computer funding for the Northwestern Ontario Regional Day Care Committee; Provincial Budget Child Care Backgrounder. 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 1990-05 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_90may 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 - Dryden Canada - Ontario - Fort Frances Canada - Ontario - Marathon Canada - Ontario - Manitouwadge Canada - Ontario - Terrace Bay 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. 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_90oct 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 - Dryden https://digitalcollections.lakeheadu.ca/files/original/7f57e8ef92fc1f4b80467119fbba0737.pdf a3e47996560970cdf4ff84381c6fc2ac PDF Text Text 1 NORTHWESTERN ONTARIO DAY CARE NEWS February 1991 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 is happening on the federal. provincial, regional and local scenes, in terms of policy, legislation, advocacy groups' activities, parental concerns and other interests that our supporters may have. 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 actions plans, we can develop strategies to ensure the growth and strengthening of quality day care in Northwestern Ontario. We welcome submissions to this newsletter from every day care centre and committee throughout our region. Please send articles, news clippings, letters, etc. to Box 144, Thunder Bay, Ontario, P7C 4VS. Contents: March Forum Agenda................ . .. 2 New Child Care Setting............ . ...... 3 Congratulations to Lee Angus...... . ...... 3 S_erious Threat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Coalition's New Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Added Funds for Child Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Child Care in Sweden . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Day Care Costs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Federal Deductions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 No Go for PHSSR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Playground Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Membership Renewal Form . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 �2 BOOK FRIDAY,. THESE DATES M"ARCH 22., .1 .9 .9 .1 AND M"ARCH SATURDAY., 23,. .1 .9 .9 .1 ANNUAL NORTHWESTERN ONTARIO REGIONAL DAY CARE COMMITTEE FORUM s ~ o i Rod Oak Xnn. scr••t• rhund@r Bay AGENDA FRIDAY, MARCH 22, 1991 Registration 6:30pm - 10:00pm 6:30pm - 7:30pm Keynote Speaker 7:30pm - Laurel Rothman, Past President of the Ontario Coalition of Better Child Care. speaking on the State of Child Care in Ontario, followed by a Wine and Cheese Reception. SATURDAY, MARCH 23, 1991 Beverages and Muffins 8:00am - 9:00am Panel Discussion 9:00am Northwestern Ontario Break 8:30am - 5:00pm - 9:45am - State of the Region of 9:45 - 10:00am Overview and workshops on the U-turn document and pay equity 10:00am - 12 noon Dave Hagerman and Carol Anne Sceviour Luncheon and business meeting 12 noon - 1:30pm Overview of the new Child Care Network Provincial Strategy Workshops Break 1:30pm - 2:00pm 2:00pm - 3:30pm 3:30pm - 3:45pm Plenary Session and concluding cash prize draw - 3:45pm - 4:30pm �.., 3 NEW CHILD CARE SETTING IN THUNDER BAY'S COUNTY PARK by Bobbi Tamblyn The Lakehead District Roman Catholic Separate School Board will be building a new elementary school in the County Park area, targeted opening date September, 1992. In accordance with the new legislative agreement between the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Community and Social Services, a child care centre will be established in the school. As of January 25, 1991, a community needs assessment has completed. As soon as the data from the assessment has processed architectural drawings will be completed. been been The new child care centre will be non-profit, run by a parent volunteer board of directors. Anyone who is interested in becoming an advisory board member, or helping in the planning and set up in these very initial stages and throughout the project is urged to contact Bobbi Tamblyn at ( 807) 625-1545. As well, any input, comments or suggestions are welcome. In the meantime, we'll keep you posted. CONGRATULATIONS TO LEE ANGUS Lee Angus, formerly employed be the NWORDCC, has accepted th~ position of special constituency assistant to the llinis t.er of Revenue in Toronto . The Honourable Shelley Wark-Martyn has gained a very valuable employee. We will miss her and we wish her the best in her new job. SERIOUS THREAT IN THUNDER BAY With the new 1991 municipal budget going before the Thunder 5 .::t ~City Council on February 12th, the Thunder Bay Advocates for Quality Child Care are organizing parents and representative s of non profit child care centres across the city to protest the proposed cuts to child care funding. The new budget is proposing the closure of the Grace Remus Municipal Day Care Centre, cutting all purchase of service agreements for subsidized spaces with other child care centres and cutting the municipally funded private home day care program . The Advocates urge all concerned residents to call the city council members, write letters to the City of Thunder Bay and to your Members of Provincial Parliament. �4 ONTARIO COALITION PRESENTS A NEW PLAN by Linda Hossie (The Globe and Mail) The Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care proposed a $560million child are program to the New Democratic government at a meeting on November 8, 1990, which brought positive comments from both sides. This cost, which would be shared by the provincial and federal governments and parents, does not include pay equity. One estimate for pay equity for the 22,000 child care workers is $24-million. The proposal also called for an additional 10,000 child care spaces. In this document called the U-Turn, the Coalition proposed that fees for child care services be abolished, that day care become a provincially funded service similar to education and that the province be responsible for collecting fees from parents and other funders. Under this proposal, children would enter programs as their names came up on the waiting list. Their parents would then take an income test to determine the amount of their child care contribution and the province would bill them on a monthly or quarterly basis, similar to the way once used for OHIP. Added Funds fo~ Chi2d Ca~e Zanana Akande announced on January 31, 1991, a total of 5,000 additional child care subsidies. As well, she stated the government will provide $30 million as a "down payment" for pay equity for child care workers in the non-profit sector. Janet Davis, president of the Ontario Coaltion for Better Child Care stated: "We're really pleased. I think it shows a real commitment to child care in a time of economic restraint, a time when the provincial government is really hurting." Liberal HPP Lyn McLeod termed the announcement "woefully inadequate", arguing that it will still leave thousands of Ontario children unable to get into day care. Presently in Thunder Bay, there are over 600 children on child care waiting lists. Will the municipalities take advantage of this? sssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss �., 5 A PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE OF CHILD CARE IN SWEDEN by Teresa Legowski I took the opportunity to interview Asa Petterson, an exchange student teacher from Sweden, whose placement occurred in my daughter's junior kindergarten class. The following is a brief description of the state of child care in Sweden from Ms. Petterson's perspective. In Sweden, a kindergarten program does not exist. Formal elementary school begins when the child is seven years old. From the ages of one up to seven, the child attends a preschool ( popularly known as day care). At the preschool, the program becomes progressive 1 y academic as the child gets older. 8 y the time the child is six, half of each day is devoted to academic programs. Presently, the Swedish government is exploring the possibility of increasing the age of entry for children into preschool to 12 months. This is directly related to the high demand for child care spaces. At the same time, the government would extend the parental leave program to 18 months from the birth of the child. Technically, babies can be cared for in their own homes by their own parents for 18 months. Incidentally, the present parental leave program can be ~P t o one year, depending on how the parent chooses to receive the benefit. If the parent wants to receive benefits for fi·,e days a ;1ee.c... instead of seven days a week, then s\he can stay home .:1rd r ':'::ei·;r=: 90% of his\her salary for one year, rather than nine months. mine months would be paid benefits for seven days a week). The Ministry of Education is responsible for child care 3.n:1 collects a user fee directly from the parents. This fee is based on a percentage of their income, but in no Hay covers completely the actual costs associated with running child care. The fee is the same for all ages, and always includes meals, snacks and extra time. Tax payers subsidize the rest of the costs. �6 As mentioned previously, the six year old's program a day of academics. Thus the content is viewed as the elementary school system and parents only pay a Fees are less per child, if the family has two or enroled in the preschool. involves half being part of half day fee. more children Parents have the following child care choices available. The regular preschools are located in both urban and rural centres. In smaller centres, children from ages one to six are housed in one building. In larger, urban centres some preschools are divided into different buildings: one housing the 1-3 year olds; the other housing 4-7 year olds. A few child care centres are open over night and on weekends, but not very many. Sometimes, there are up to 64 children in one centre. Another program is the cooperative parent pre schoo 1. Usual 1 y, these programs are located in renovated houses. Two teachers are hired, but the parents come in as helpers on a rotational basis for blocks of two weeks. This offers parents and their children the opportunity for a more intimate relationship. However, not all parents have the flexibility to be committed to such blocks of time. The government also funds a program of registered home day cares. This is especially popular for infant care. Before and after school programs are available to children up to 12 years of age. Most are still located at the preschools, but the government is now beginning to implement a program where this :,ill be available at the child's school. Private child care is also ar. option. In all cases, except for the private child care scenario, the government totally funds the programs, and collects farental fees. The child:staff ratio for the ages of 18 months to three years is 12 children for every two and one-half full time teachers. For the three to seven year old children, it is 15-18 children to ttJ ,) H,d one-half full time teachers. A university degree of two and one-half years duration is required to become a teacher for 3-7 year olds, and for the before and ~ft~~ school programs. For teaching a younger child a college degree is required. The government is presently looking at stan::lardi::in,1 teachers' qualifications. The programming itself is based on several principles which reflect Swedish culture: peace, solidarity, self esteem, democracy and cooperation. The emphasis is on haw to become a good, socially functioning person. It is child centred, with more emphasis on functioning within the group and less on the individual. The emphasis in North America is away from peace an~ the group and more on the individual. �7 Day Care Costs The annual cost of day care for a three year old across Canada, according to management consultants Runzheimer Canada Inc., for full time, commercial operations are as follows: Toronto, $6,612; Yellowknife, $5,760; Ottawa, $5,712; Whitehorse, $4,824; Saskatoon, $4,740; London, Ontario, $4,512; Montreal, $4,392; Quebec City, $,380; CANADIAN AVERAGE, $4,284; Vancouver, $4, 152; Regina, $4,080; Halifax, $4,020; St. John's, $3,948; Calgary, $3,804; Winnipeg, $3,684; Victoria, $3,636; Edmonton, $3,348; Saint John, $2,940. FEDERAL BEHIND DEDUCTION FALLING WAY The income tax system's child care expense deduction is fallin~ way behind the real cost for many parents. A working parent is allowed a child care expense tax of up to $4,000 for each child who is under the age of seven or infirm. So parents in the adjacent table's bottom six cities can use the pretax dollars to pay the full cost of day care for their three year olds, but the others cannot. When the child is between seven and 14, drops to $2,000. the child care deduction The re was a recent court ruling concerning this deduction. At issue was the restriction that if both parents are "supportin-;,i persons" the deduction can be claimed only by the one Hi th the louer income. In that case, the trial division of the Federal Court affirmed that if one spouse has no income at all, the deduction can be 8laimed ty the other spouse, who does have an income. Previously, Revenue Canada maintained that the zero-income spouse 11as the lower income person, and the only one entitled to the deduction, even though there was no income against which it could be claimed. ***************************************************************** . �8 NO GO FOR PMSSR by Margaret Phillips The Northwestern Ontario Regional Day Care Committee has prepared a response to the report of the Provincial Hunicipal Social Services Review ( PHSSR) outlining our concern that the implementation of the PHSSR would have severe negative effects on child care in Northwestern Ontario. Our concern centres on three areas. Firstly, the basic issue of social services funding deficiencies is not addressed. The serious under funding that has plagued child care for 20 years has not even been considered. We feel it is not useful to determine new management roles when basic funding issues have not been dealt with. Secondly, we believe that reallocating the responsibility for the discretionary services of child care and community based services to the municipal sector would lead to an erosion of child care services. In the long term, child care and services f o r elderly people will experience the greatest expansion. The recommendation for 75%/25% provincial/municipal funding for these services will place an inequitable financial burden on the municipal tax base. Given the financial constraints already experienced by municipalities, it can be easily assumed that many municipal governments will be both unwilling and unable to meet the community's needs for child care and community based services. Thirdly, we are troubled by the vagueness of the PHSSR report in respect to jurisdictional responsibilities in the n o rth. The report provides no clarification of what the "municipal sector " means in Northern Ontario. Thus we cannot adequately anal~=e the PMSSR from a Northwestern Ontario perspective. \·le are als o concerned about the demand that the municipal sector assume the planning responsibility. This would impose increased financial burdens on the municipal tax base. Copies of our brief may be obtained form the NWORDCC offi ce . .. .... ... . . .. .. . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . . ???????????????????????????????????????... . . . . . . . �' 9 PLAYGROUND EQUIPt1IENT GUIDE ISN'T DEALING WITH FIRE CONCERNS The Canadian Standards Association has recently released a 120 page report containing extensive information for playground equipment, including surface guidelines requirements, standards for playground equipment construction, standards for areas surrounding the equipment and measurements for head and neck entrapment. Evidence given at a Dryden inquest a year ago underlined the urgency of the CSA standards which were completed last April, after three years of work by CSA officials. However, recommendations for non-flammable playground equipment will not be part of new standards to be published by the Canadian Standards Association, despite the severe burning of a T irnmins child at a municipal playground last November. Eight year old Jennifer Marsh of Timmins suffered second and third degree burns after a three foot plastic tunnel that she had been playing in caught fire. She was admitted to a Sudbury hospital. Parts of the melted half inch walled tunnel were sent to Toronto to the forensic laboratories. The rest of the plastic tunnel and accompanying plastic slide were sent to the Ontario Fire College 1n Gravenhurst for flammability testing. Referring to the wood and tires adjacent to the plastic tunnel o n the playground apparatus, Burt Schaffer, the Timmins fire chief, said "Nothing can be burned without someone igniting it". �• 10 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.D.C.C. P.O. Box 144 Thunder Bay, Ont. P7C 4V5 ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, 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: _ _ _ _ _ _ Fee Enclosed _ _ _ __ Category: A 8 _ __ c _ __ ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, Thankyou 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, February 1991 Subject The topic of the resource Organizations Description An account of the resource Northwestern Ontario Day Care News February 1991. Includes information about the Annual Northwestern Ontario Regional Day Care Forum; new elementary school for Lakehead District Roman Catholic Separate School Board; Thunder Bay Advocates for Quality Child Care; U-Turn Proposal by the Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care; child care funding and child care subsidies announcement from the Ministry of Community and Social Services Zanana Akande; A Personal Perspective of Child Care in Sweden by Teresa Legowski; release of Canadian day care cost statistics from Runzheimer; Canada Inc.; child care expense tax deduction; Northwestern Ontario Regional Day Care Committee response paper to the Provincial Municipal Social Services Review (PMSSR); playground equipment standards from the Canadian Standards Association. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Northwestern Ontario Regional Child Care Association Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1991-02 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_91feb 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 https://digitalcollections.lakeheadu.ca/files/original/10ee6ed418046b6975e00ffdf46abfeb.pdf 442cb47177ce2f681ed108ab865257f3 PDF Text Text NORTHWESTERN ONTARIO DAY CARE NEws · May 1991 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 is happening on the federal, provincial, regional and local scenes, in terms of policy, legislation, advocacy groups' activities, parental concerns and other interests that our supporters may have. 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 Northwestern Ontario. We welcome submissions to this newsletter from every day care centre and committee throughout our region. Please send articles, news clippings, letters, etc. to Box 144, Thunder Bay, Ontario, P7C 4V5. ------------------------------------------------------------------WHAT'S IN THIS ISSUE? Minimal Growth of Subsidized Spaces in Northwestern Ontario Private Home Day Care Conference 6th Annual Forum A Great Success New Elementary Schools= New Child Care Centres Professional Development Sessions A Priority New NWORDCC Council Members Provincial Budget- A Day Care Overview Welcome to New Faces in New Positions Coalition Launches Child Care Network Day Care: Making a profit on baby? *Please note the NWORDCC membership drive letter included in this newsletter. Please pass it on if you are already a member. �, Minimal Growth of Subsidized Spaces Northwestern Ontarfo by Lynn Carlson Supervis~ng Early Childhood Educator Dryden Day Care Centre - On January 31, 1991, Zanana Akande announced that 5,000 of the 10,000 additional subsidized spaces recommended by the Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care had been created. Unfortunately the north will be receiving only 176 of the 5,000 spaces. The north begins at Muskoka which is only two hours away from Toronto. There were already 1,000 children on waiting lists in Northwestern Ontario alone, as of January 1, 1991. If approximately 75% of these children qualify for subsidy, how far will 176 additional spaces go when these must be shared with Northeastern Ontario? It has been determined that 51 of these new subsidies will be given to the Northwest. There seems to be a real inconsistency in the way that subsidies are distributed. For example, Fort Frances is licensed for 48 children and is approved for 33 subsidized spaces. Sioux Lookout has a license capacity of 48 and has 28 approved subsidized spaces available. In Atikokan, only 8 subsidized spaces are available through the municipality for 39 children. But, in Dryden, we presently have ministry approval to subsidize 45 children (our full enrolment), if their families are determined through needs testing to be eligible. (All of our parents are encouraged to take this needs test with no stigma attached.) Approval has already been given for three additional subsidy spaces when our license increases to accommodate 48 children in our new building. Our town treasurer and the support our child care centre receives from our town council and administrative staff can be given the credit for the success Dryden has had in obtaining subsidized spaces. We have applied for additional spaces in stages as our families' needs have changed. We are now servicing more single parent families than ever before. We ensure that the requests are accompanied by documentation that demonstrates the need t ·or more spaces ( using such information as waiting list figures). Our program supervisor has been very cooperative and supportive of our program needs. We have returned that cooperation by giving up some subsidized spaces when the ministry requests or during periods of low enrolment. We reapply when enrolment increases. When problems have arisen between the town administration and the Ministry office, the town has not hesitated to arrange meetings with higher levels of government. It is a shame that our situation is not consistent within other communities. �It seems that the problem of obtaining adequate numbers of subsidy spaces may be at the municipal level rather than the provincial. Should the distribution of subsidized spaces be determined by the abilities and willingness of municipal leaders and municipal administration to negotiate with government officials? Since some communities are not as prosperous as others, complete provincial funding of subsidized spaces could even out some of the discrepancies. Child care spaces should be universally available and families in need should have the opportunity to have child care costs subsidized. The 51 additional spaces allocated for all of Northwestern Ontario cannot do much to change the present situation. Editor's Note: The way the provincial government subsidized spaces was as follows: distributed the 5,000 Toronto: 4,000 spaces 500 spaces Ottawa : 500 spaces according to population Rest of Ontario: PRIVATE HOME DAY CARE CONFERENCE Sandra Livingston, the Children's Services Coordinator with the City's Social Services Department is looking for volunteers to work on the following committees: Workshop host/hostess Entertainment (Thursday evening) Commercial exhibits Workshop set up - posters/signs News media Evaluation form Silent auction - fund raising Wine & cheese evening Speaker/workshop leaders (honorarium) Audio-visual (workshop requests) Promotional items (available for purchase) Transportation (airport/hotel) Program brochure Conference kits Pre-registration on site registration, desk accomodation Meals, coffee breaks Hospitality suite If you wish to participate as a volunteer contact Sandra Livingston, 86 S. Cumberland St., Thunder Bay, ONT P7B 6G7 The City of Thunder Bay will be hosting the 1991 Private Home Day Care Conference this SEPTEMBER 25th, 26th, 27th at the Valhalla Inn. The NWORDCC is looking for a delegate to send to this conference. If you operate a private home day care program and you wish to attend please let Margaret or Barbara know. �(> 6TH ANNUAL FORUM A SUCCESS GREAT The sixth Annual NW Ontario Regional Day Care Forum convened in Thunder Bay on March 22/23, 1991. The forum brought together 78 child care advocates (parents, workers, administrators, ECE students) from 12 communities to assess current day care issues and develop strategies to continue advocacy for a comprehensive, high quality, non-profit child care system. The opening key note speaker Friday evening was Laurel Rothman, past president of the Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care ( OCBCC). She provided an overview of child . care issues from a national and provincial perspective, as well as information about current activities of the Coalition in its attempts to influence child care policy. On Saturday morning. a regional panel composed of Oni Kredl (Marathon). Rob Stinchcombe ( Kaministiquia). Lynn Carlson (Dryden}, Janet McCauley ( Atikokan) and Anita Price ( Thunder Bay) identified key concerns experienced in NW Ontario. These included: staff wages, fund raising problems faced by non profit Boards, accessibility, municipal discretion, inadequacy of guidelines for capital projects, insufficiency of capital funding, lack of standardization, inadequacy of subsidized spaces and northern funding inequities. On Saturday afternoon. Hargaret Phillips addressed the torum about the worsening situation in child care. She focused on our failure to obtain provincial policies sensitive to NW Ontario needs, the lack. of administrative support for child care, and the cutbacks in training opportunities tor northern communities th a t impact most negatively on the small, regional municipalities and Native communities. She stressed that child care advocates must continue their activism to resolve these problems. Pay equity and the Coalition's U-Turn document were examined during two workshops Saturday morning. The forum formally endorsed in principle the working document, "Child Care in Ontario: Making the Shift to the 1990's", and recommended the Coalition continue to encourage the Ontario government to implement the features of this program as quickly as possible. The annual business meeting was conducted during the noon hour, at which time the 1991/92 representatives to the NWORDCC Council were chosen. �NEW ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS= NEW CHILD CARE CENTRES by Bobbi Tamblyn .. In the last newsletter, I told you about the new Roman Catholic school in County Park in Thunder Bay which will have a child care facility included. Since then, I have taken on two new projects the Lakehead Board and the Nipigon-Red Rock Board of Education. The Lakehead Board is building in Slate River. The Slate/Blake project is the first rural project in Thunder Bay. The Nipigon-Red Rock Board is building in Dorion. Both are targeted for a September 1992 opening. Slate/Blake has already broken ground; County Park is at the sketch plan stage; Dorion is in the initial drawing stage. All of these projects are very exciting and each has its own unique qualities. The groups from all the Boards of Education are very progressive and enthusiastic. We are presently in need of a Board of Directors for each of the projects. Please call me, Bobbi, the Child Care Consultant, at (807) 625-1545 for further discussion and clarifications on any of these exciting new projects. I welcome any comments and suggestions. Have a great summer! PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SESSIONS BOARDS AND STAFF A PRIORITY FOR by Dianne Loucks Child Care Community Development Consultant By this time all programs in the District of Thunder Bay will have received a copy of up coming sessions for May and June, 1991. These sessions will be a primary focus for the 1991/92 year. Some of the activities planned include: professional development sessions; developing AECEO membership in the reg ion; development of program listings for the district; individual sessions with programs and boards; assisting new groups with needs assessments and proposals; producing a guideline paper for MCSS and the Minstry of Education. I look forward to working with individuals and groups to raise the image of child care in our communities. By focusing on our similarities and the quality care of children, we will continue to build on a solid foundation. �,. Board and Staff Professional Development Sessions OPEN TO ALL subsidized). AREA CHILD CARE PROGRAMS (Sorry, travel is not Sessions will be held if there is sufficient registration. Please confirm your attendance by phone 622-0201. Should numbers not be sufficient. the session will not be held. Please check prior to the date. FUND PROPOSAL INVOLVING THE RAISING, · DEVELOPMENT AND COMMUNITY IMPROVING COMMUNICATIONS MANAGING CONFLICT AND 1. May 23, 1991 Manitouwadge, Township Office, 7-9pm. 1. June 18, 1991 Geraldton, Geraldton Day Care Centre, 7-9 p.m. 2. May 30, 1991 Thunder Bay, Brodie Resource Library, 7-9pm. 2. June 24, 1991 Thunder Bay, Waverley Resource Library, 7-9 p.m. NORTHWESTERN ONTARIO REGIONAL DAY CARE COMMITTEE COUNCIL MEMBERS 1991/92 Kenora Constituency Port Arthur Constituency Lynn Carlson- Dryden Lulubelle Kabestra- Whitefish Bay Lucille Kelly- Nestor Falls Julie Gauthier- Balmertown Anita Price- Thunder Bay Sandra Snider- Thunder Bay Rob Stinchcombe- Kaministiquia Rainy River Constituency Fort William ConstituenGy Mary Ducharme- Fort Frances Joanne Tremblay- Atikokan Betty Anne West- Fort Frances Fran Dalrymple- Thunder Bay Lorrie LaDelle- Thunder Bay Myrna Sawchuk- Thunder Bay Lake Nipigon Constituency Veronica Kreidl- Marathon Nancy Proteau- Geraldton �PROVINCIAL BUDGET- A DAY CARE OVERVIEW Along with other activists the NWORDCC anxiously awaited the provincial budget that was announced April 29th. We view the budget with mixed reactions. We support the thrust of the budget policies developed. We ara pleased with the initiatives that will impact positively in Northwestern Ontario such as support to Native communities, improved health transportation funding, and the initiatives that will support organizations working to end violence against women. However we are concerned by the absence from the budget of a demonstrated commitment to restructure child care in Ontario. We have written to Treasurer Floyd Laughren to express our concern and to urge the Ontario government to immediaiely begin the process to fundamentally restructure child care to ensure the development of the comprehensive, high-quality, non-profit child care system we need. We recognize the constraints the provincial treasurer faced in developing the budget. Huch of the deficit cudge te d for is a direct result of federal government policies. $3.5 billion in lost revenue is due to cuts in transfer payments and the cap on the Canada Assistance Plan. Changes in unemployment insurance are forcing more and more of the unemployed onto welfare. Welfare costs are expected to reach $4.9 billion this year, up from $2.5 billion two years ago. An unemployment rate of 10 pe~ cent, representing 184,000 jobs lost in the economy, is directly related to the free trade agreement, a high dollar and high interest rates. The provincial budget held the 1 ine on child care with a S 4 6 5 million commitment, up from $396 million in 1990. This figure includes the previously announced $30 million down payment on pay equity and the $22.8 million commited to bringing 5000 neH spaces on line. The only new initiative directly mentioned in the budget is $5 million in capital funding for Native centres on reserves. Other budget initiatives that may have an impact on child care include: a review of educational facilities towards a community-based, multi-use of schools is already underway. A $300 million capital fund for schools, beginning in 1994, will incorporate this approach. an additional $25 million has been earmarked for pay equity settlements for smaller agencies which could be of assistance to child care workers who are now excluded from the down payment . . a $215 million package for welfare reform includes an expansion of the SEP program, part of which is earmarked for child care costs. �, Recent correspondence from the Hon. Zanana Akande. Minister of Community and Social Services, informs us that the Ministry has initiated a "comprehensive review of the child care system with the goal to make it more accessible and affordable". The NWORDCC must analyze this review and continue to press for a fundamental restructuring of child care that will take into account the funding inequities experienced by •northern child care. and ensure the comprehensive and equitable system that Ontario families need. WELCOME Kerry Mccuaig as the new Executive Director of the Ontario Coalition for Better Child C~re. Barbara Lysnes as summer staff for the N.W.O.R.D.C.C. Margaret Phillips is taking a well-earned holiday. ONTARIO COALITION FOR BETTER CHILD CARE LAUNCHES CHILD CARE NETWORK The Coalition is offering membership in a network that will facilitate badly needed training. benefits, and accounting and administrative services to child care programs across the province. The Network is also designed to expand and strengthen the lobbying structure of the Coalition. ANNUAL NETWORK MEMBERSHIP FEES Child Care Centres Private Home Day Care Agencies Other unlicensed Child Care Related Programs NETWORK SERVICES $125 plus Sl per licensed child care space $ 75 per agency plus S1 per home S 50 per program For more information contact the Coalition at (416) 324-9080 . representation at Coalition Council and Executive Table; advocacy on issues of interest to Network members. special training workshops on advocacy, board and staff development, general administration, program evaluation, multicultural and special needs programming; preferred registration in all educational events, conferences, seminars. access to the Coalition information and resource centre and consultation and referral services, including the video library; one free copy of all Coalition and Network publications. participation in central 1 y administered staff insurance and benefits package; access to benefit levels and rates usually only available to very large employers . . preferred rates on Coalition's computerized Financial Management Services package, and new computer software programs for day care. �Pay equity has added a new wrinlde • to an old debate By Julie Mathieu THOUGH THE debate about the • nee<tfor or desirability of child • care has long since been •resolved. the question of how it should be paid for is still lively, even rancorous. In the main, there are two kinds of •. child care - profit and non-profit. These terms describe not just two sets of ledgers but two different • understandings of the same important task. • Whether there should be profit in child care at all has been ·questioned repeatedly since the mid-1970s. That's •. when child care advocates noted how • quickly large, commercial operators supported unsuccessful government . attempts to reduce the standards ·, regulating child care in Ontario. , Tensions since then between the commercial sector and non-profit • advocates have focused on this question: Is it appropriate to provide public money to commercial child .care? Whether Conservative, Liberal or New Democrat, successive Ontario • governments since the 1970s have provided money to encourage child • care expansion. When the Conservative • government made available capital and '. start-up funding, only non-profit and publicly operated centres were eligible. The Liberals differentiated between •for-profit and non-profit programs in •allocating grants to raise staff salaries. The New Democrats continued this r.rogression when they announced a ; 'down payment" on pay equity for •child care staff. Under this initiative, government funds will help child care •programs with the cost of meeting the · salary increases arising from the first step toward pay equity. The funds will be provided only to non-profit . programs. . Governments, both P,ast and present, have recognized the difference between for-profit and non-profit child care. In a commercial centre, individuals or corporations hold equity and earn profit. Non-profit centres are operated by boards of directors elected by the members. Surplus (an unlikely event, since non-profit budgets are calculated on a break-even basis) does not go out as profit. but must be put back into the child t.'Ve program. When resources are removed from a program in the form of profit, the impact is significant. Research has repeatedly shown that the for-profit sector is more likely to deliver poor quality care. : Child care centre owners have • • always protested what they perceive as the favored status of the non-profit sector. This time, both owners and staff in commercial centres have claimed that the government pay equity funding initiative discriminates against them. The staff are right in one respect: ~ underpaid female workers in a ghettoized profession, they deserve equal pay for work of equal value. They have, however, chosen the wrong target for their dissatisfaction. The money for pay equity for staff in commercial day cares should not come from the public purse but from the_, . profits of the.owners - the employers. Fees to parents in for-profit centres generally keep pace with those in non-profits even though staff salaries have traditionally been lower in commercial child care. The bulk of the profit is generated by this difference in salaries. The prospect of t>roviding pay equity adjustments to their employees bas elicited the same response from child care owners that is heard from other businesses: They insist that pay equity is unaffordable. They threaten that centres will close and that children will P ARTICULARLY during a recession, when revenue is down, government should not give funds to commercial child care to assist with pay equity. Funds for this purpose already exist in the form of profit. However, dealing with the entire situation is not simple. It involves more players than government and needs a more complicated response than a simple refusal. Parents in for-profit programs may be panicked at threats of fee increases to cover the salary raises resulting from pa;: equity. They should support the child care staff 1n their legitimate desire for fair wages, funded by the owners' profits. Commercial child care operators often maintain that they do not make a profit. If parents are convinced that this 1s the case in their child's centre, they might want to discuss with the owner the possibility that the best business option might be to convert to non-profit status. As for staff in commercial centres, they deserve the same pay equit)' adjustments as their colleagues in the non-profit sector and shoufd demand suffer. fair compensation from their employers . The owners have also made it clear The provincial government has both that, if they do stay in business, they short- and long-term obligations. will raise parent fees to cover the cost Owners of for-profit centres will need of pay equity rather than dip into their government information on how they profit margin. . can implement pay equity. In addition. How much of the cost of conducting the province must provide assistance in business should government underwrite? As representatives of labor converting commercial centres to non-profit status when the owner have pointed out. other: employers, wishes to do so or when the owner especially those operating small decides to shut down. Sound businesses, could make the same government direction can mean that argument for publi~ fund~ to . centres will not close and child care implement pay equity. Child care 1s spaces.will not be lost. more complex than, say, ladies' Finall)f, government must start to clothin_g because there is a non-profit change the child care system so that it sector tor comparison. The child care becomes a public service rather than owners maintain that they should be able to compete with non-profit centres remaining simply another element in the marketplace. in the areas of staff salaries and fees to families. However, they don't want to 0 Julle Mathlen Is a child care adviser spend their own funds to do this; they with the Toronto Board of EducaUon. want to spend tax· dollars. � 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, May 1991 Subject The topic of the resource Organizations Description An account of the resource Northwestern Ontario Day Care News May 1991. Includes information about subsidized child care spaces in Northwestern Ontario; Private Home Day Care Conference in Thunder Bay; the sixth Annual Northwestern Ontario Regional Day Care Forum; Boards of Education child care centres in Thunder Bay and Dorion; Professional Development for the Child Care Community in the District of Thunder Bay; provincial budget overview with a focus on child care funding, pay equity and welfare reform; Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care launching Child Care Network and 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 1991-05 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_91may 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