Local daycare operators are sounding the alarm over a lack of qualified staff they believe is putting a strain on the number of spaces available for families and their children in Victoria.
Tronie Brown, owner and operator of Nightingale Preschool and Junior Kindergarten in Victoria, said itB次元官网网址檚 becoming increasingly difficult to secure properly trained, experienced staff to work with the children in her daycare, which has been operating in Fernwood for the past 14 years.
B次元官网网址淭here are a lot of colleges offering courses, but fewer people are coming out. When they do the courses, they get snapped up by lots of daycares. ThereB次元官网网址檚 no subs on the list at all,B次元官网网址� said Brown, whose facility has 20 children and employs three early childhood educators (ECE). B次元官网网址淢any of us canB次元官网网址檛 find staff to (operate)the preschool or the daycare.B次元官网网址�
The lack of available childcare spaces has plagued the region in recent years. Many daycares are operating at capacity and hundreds of parents sit on wait lists B次元官网网址� some sign up even before their children are born.
However, some operators believe the lack of experienced staff has also led to an overall lower standard of practice in daycares across the region.
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Brown knows of many daycares in Victoria that are working with the bare minimum number of staff, who, in turn, are working long hours.
B次元官网网址淪ome of these people (operators) are wonderful, but B次元官网网址� theyB次元官网网址檙e tired, theyB次元官网网址檙e burnt out, theyB次元官网网址檙e frustrated by not finding quality staff,B次元官网网址� she said.
ItB次元官网网址檚 a problem Alyson Culbert, director of Sundance Playschool in Fairfield, is all too familiar with. The problem is exacerbated, she said, by the standards of practice set out by Island Health, which among other things includes very stringent staff-to-child ratios and ECE requirements.
Some daycares operate at less than full capacity, out of fear of falling below the allowable ratio B次元官网网址� which, if detected, results in a licensing infraction B次元官网网址� if an ECE calls in sick, for example.
B次元官网网址淵ouB次元官网网址檙e going to be unwittingly encouraging daycares to be quietly breaking licensing rules because they wonB次元官网网址檛 want to shut down (for the day or turn children away). They donB次元官网网址檛 want to not provide care, but they donB次元官网网址檛 want to be in trouble with licencing,B次元官网网址� Culbert said.
B次元官网网址淗ow do you keep all parties happy? How do you keep their families happy and make sure their children can go to daycare that day and how do you do this without contravening the guidelines set out by licensing?
B次元官网网址淭here are people who are breaking rules and getting people who are not qualified because (the staff shortage is) a crisis.B次元官网网址�
Currently, Island Health has six licensing operators in Southern Vancouver Island who help maintain a minimum standard of practice within daycares. Operators respond to complaints and check daycares for such things as appropriate furniture, safe storage of hazardous materials, and that all employees have had criminal record checks.
Recently, Island Health changed its approach to licensing to a more risk-based approach.
B次元官网网址淚f you are experiencing problems or you have conditions on your license; in other words, youB次元官网网址檝e had some difficulties and certain expectations are required that go beyond what is usually expected; then youB次元官网网址檒l be seeing your licensing officer more often,B次元官网网址� said Dr. Richard Stanwick, Island HealthB次元官网网址檚 chief medical officer. If a daycare is considered low risk, a licensing officer might not come by for up to 18 months, he added.
B次元官网网址淓very complaint is responded to. In most instances they are resolved successfully, but from time to time we do have to impose conditions and very rarely say weB次元官网网址檙e going to cancel the license B次元官网网址� It is striking that balance where the Act and regulations are fitting minimum requirements.B次元官网网址�
Brown and Culbert are concerned that not enough is being done to ensure the safety of children. Brown would like to see more investment in standardizing the curriculum for ECEs, as well as higher starting wages to encourage more people to get into the field.
