The Editor,
Re. “Daycare scramble as SD43 gives out notices” (The Tri-City News, April 21).
I was saddened but not surprised to read that seven daycares in the Tri-Cities will not have their leases renewed at the end of June. School District 43 has been renting out empty classrooms to raise much needed funds for quite a while. At the same time, it has discouraged placing portables on school grounds for use as childcare centres, sometimes referring to the policy as a moratorium.
As a former board member of a not-for-profit daycare, having served for 10 years before I retired last June, I’ve been frustrated by this policy. Given the price of land in the Tri-Cities, it is just not feasible for non-profits to secure land to build a daycare.
While there have been several rounds of grants given by the B.C. government to build new child care spaces by both private for-profit businesses and community based non-profits, grants in the Tri-Cities appear to have gone to for-profit businesses.
I’m not opposed to the government helping fund these businesses, by the way, but I believe they should receive low or no-interest loans that are repayable when the business is sold.
I hope parents will be able to convince SD43 to welcome daycare portables at school sites and, especially if the daycare is a non-profit, help their volunteer boards of directors raise funds and apply for grants to purchase portables.
Unfortunately, it won’t be the quick fix that’s needed.
Joyce Gudaitis,
Port Coquitlam
