Editor:
Re: Parents need more help: board of trade, April 17.
It was with great interest that I read this article, because I did work in daycare, many years ago.
I feel I understand the devastating and humiliating situation that parents find themselves in when looking for quality, cost-effective daycare.
I am new to White Rock and enjoy reading your newspaper. I worked in an inner-city Ottawa daycare, from 1975-’78, with single parents and immigrant families. Then-prime minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau said one of his goals was to bring into effect a national daycare program similar to that described by the Surrey Board of Trade in your article. Years later, another Liberal prime minister, Paul Martin, had the same goals.
So, in essence, these dreams have been in the works for more than 40 years. What has stood in our way?
Conservative governments don’t philosophically believe in subsidized daycare. The Liberals and the NDP believe in it, but the main goal of politicians is to get in and stay in power. They make promises, then backslide to stay in for another term. It is the game of politics, and the fickle, lethargic, apathetic, sometimes-misinformed public play an important part in this short-sighted political ‘game.’
The Conservatives sometimes call the Liberals and NDP “socialists.” If we want quality, affordable daycare, we will have to be more “socially inclined,” less greedy and more generous with those who are disadvantaged.
Unfortunately the “fruits of the crop” – or results of standardized daycare – would not come to fruition for 20 years. We would probably have happy, motivated, employable and well-adjusted young adults ready to enter the work force. But “they,” unfortunately, don’t grow in the allotted four-year political time frame.
This dream of daycare for all may never happen because, presently, the rich portion of our society – the top five per cent of our population – can easily afford private nannies. These upper-middle-class and wealthy, sometimes articulate and well-connected individuals and corporations control politics. The other 95 per cent are sometimes apathetic and don’t always have the language skills, confidence and/or political clout. We may not have the energy – too busy working frontline while juggling children’s needs – to change things.
So, if we want quality and affordable daycare, we need to: collectively work very hard to rise up; become more aware of politicians and their actions; vote municipally, provincially and federally; and get involved.
Otherwise, all this talk is merely dust in the wind.
In the words of R.K. Grace’s letter to the editor (Our apathy is beyond reason, April 19), we need to step up to the plate and be more involved/active in the democratic process.
S. Teasdale, White Rock