A Highlands daycare was chosen for the provinceB次元官网网址檚 $10-a-day pilot but some parents are questioning if other West Shore daycares should be involved in the pilot as well.
LexieB次元官网网址檚 Little BearsB次元官网网址� Child Care Inc. charges families about $1,600 per month ($80 per day) for daycare services. The facility sits on four acres of land and uses modern, nature-based techniques from Italy.
For the next 18 months, parents using daycare services there will have to pay a maximum of $200 per month.
Alexandra Garford, a mother living in the West Shore, calls the daycare a B次元官网网址渃ream of the cropB次元官网网址� centre and she said the price tag goes along with it. However, Garford said she couldnB次元官网网址檛 afford to put her child there and said that is the case for many average-income families in the area.
READ MORE: West Shore parents relieved as Highlands daycare joins $10-a-day pilot
B次元官网网址淚f you can afford to spend $1,600 per month to send your child to, admittedly what sounds like a wonderful daycare, then you do not need the $10-a-day daycare,B次元官网网址� Garford said.
Garford said most daycares in the area average at about $50 to $60 per day and even that, for some parents, is expensive.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 the Rolls Royce of daycares in the West Shore B次元官网网址� and now itB次元官网网址檚 $10-a-day,B次元官网网址� Garford said. B次元官网网址淭hatB次元官网网址檚 much cheaper than my part-time daycare.B次元官网网址�
Garford said while sheB次元官网网址檚 happy for LexieB次元官网网址檚 Little BearsB次元官网网址� Child Care Inc., she hopes the pilot is successful so it can spread to more daycares and help more families.
Catherine Laurie, another mother who lives in the Highlands area, had similar thoughts to Garford.
B次元官网网址淲e work hard, we make average salaries B次元官网网址� housing is expensive, taxes are expensive and then you see a daycare get benefits that they donB次元官网网址檛 need,B次元官网网址� Laurie said. B次元官网网址淚 donB次元官网网址檛 blame the parents but I do believe the pilot is very flawed if thatB次元官网网址檚 who [the province] ended up picking.B次元官网网址�
The provincial government chose 53 daycares across B.C. to test the $10-a-day model. The daycares taking part were selected based on more than 300 applications sent in June.
Laurie said she thinks rather than having centres apply for the pilot funding, individual parents should instead. That way the money is going directly to people who need it.
READ MORE: 53 B.C. daycares move to $10-a-day pilot
B次元官网网址淚t should be more about the families, not the centre,B次元官网网址� Laurie said.
Lexie Biegun, owner of LexieB次元官网网址檚 Little BearsB次元官网网址� Child Care Inc., said a range of families from all income levels use her daycare services.
B次元官网网址淗owever, I will say that given the amount of time, money and effort we have put into Little BearsB次元官网网址�, I would consider it a high-end daycare,B次元官网网址� Biegun said.
Biegun said she is unsure why her daycare was chosen for the pilot over others but she said the place is her entire lifeB次元官网网址檚 work.
She is also hoping the pilot is successful so more daycares can receive this funding.
B次元官网网址淚 will do my best job,B次元官网网址� Biegun said. B次元官网网址淭his is the starting point.B次元官网网址�
shalu.mehta@goldstreamgazette.com
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