The Editor,
Re. “PM parents in child care limbo” (The Tri-City News, July 7).
Thank you for your coverage of our situation at BrightPath Port Moody. While I appreciate your coverage of all sides of the story, I’m not sure you conveyed any of the emotion that the parents caught in this situation feel.
The staff at the centre have cared for our kids like their own. After school, a group of kids and parents stay and play at the playground. Our kids’ classmates are their family. They see the staff as surrogate parents and grandparents.
When word came down we’d be losing our care, all of us were distraught, not just because of the cold bureaucratic responses or the fact that most open spaces in town were now gone, but because we’d also be saying goodbye to a tight-knit family.
Our eldest has been at the centre for five years. When I was coming off of mat leave, we were wait-listed for 14 centres. Only one had a space. Many people were at the centre because their simply was no other option, especially for out-of-school care. Now, the only option is long waiting lists at other centres.
I fail to see how School District 43 managed to operate for so many years with the out-of-school program in the gym but suddenly requires it for educational purposes, especially when concessions had been made to accommodate the breakfast club space.
Could concessions not be made for another few months, considering the impact to families? Would the additional rent money not benefit the district?
Jody Prouse, Port Moody
