Child Care Crunch

VICTORIA -- Little Bears Day Care in Langford provides children with learning fundamentals, and an environment in which they can grow and prosper, says early childhood educator Angela Ireland.

"The first five years of a child's life is so developmentally important, they are like sponges and we want to provide a place for them to play outside and learn, it's very important for them."

But for many parents finding a spot particularly for infants, and finding a way to pay for it has become a crisis. Lexi Biegun opened a daycare with her own two young children, and now has to turn others away.

"There's nothing out there, we only have 4 spots for infants and on the waiting list we have over 50 families."

While families struggle to deal with the financial burden, which can be up to one thousand dollars a month per child for daycare, opposition members like Rob Fleming say the situation is only getting worse. And it's time for the Government to step up.

"The fact of the matter is Canada is dead last of all the industrialized nations when it comes to the support it gives to young children before their school age, and BC is one of the worst when it comes to the ten provinces."

The BC Government spent roughly 300 million dollars on child care subsidies last year, which pails in comparison to Quebecs 1.8 billion. A gap parents, providers, and opposition politicians say is far too big.

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