VICTORIA – The scene at Henderson Recreation Centre Friday night, when more than 40 parents camped overnight for the chance to enrol their child in child care, provided a stark example of how the Campbell government has completely failed working families.

With annual registration opening up at 8:00 a.m. the following morning, parents spent the night in the Centre's gym, in the hope of securing one of 20 available child care spots for after-school or kinder care. Claire Trevena

“It is not acceptable that parents were forced to line up outside in the cold for nearly 12 hours and then forced to sleep inside a gymnasium for another 12 hours, for a chance at a child care spot, ” said NDP child care critic Claire Trevena.

“This is just more evidence of the critical child care shortage plaguing our province."For single parents and for families where both parents work, there is no choice but to line up to ensure a spot. "It's a complete disaster that's affecting everybody," said Rob Fleming, the MLA for Victoria Hillside. Rob Fleming

"Employers are seeing an increasing number of employees who are unable to return to work after maternity or paternity leave due to the lack of child care spaces.

Parent Michelle Kirby is upset that Minister Ida Chong, who is the MLA for Oak Bay, has done nothing to speak out for her constituents who are affected by the child care shortage.

“I had a meeting that same day with Minister Chong to discuss the state of child care in general,” said Kirby. “When I told the Minister that parents in her own constituency were camping out overnight for a child care spot, she didn’t seem to care,” said Kirby.

MLA Claire Trevena, who is traveling the province with child care initiative Raising B.C., says child care providers are calling for more infrastructure, trained personnel, and a funding commitment from Campbell government.

“The more I travel the province, the more I hear from working parents on the stresses of accessing affordable and quality care for their children,” said Trevena.

“B.C. parents have every right to be upset with the current state of child care – the question is, will this government start listening, take action and invest in B.C.’s future today?” Raising B.C. will be in Burnaby April 10. Trevena will continue consultations with parents, providers, business and community leaders in communities across B.C. through to the end of May. 

For more on Raising B.C. please visit our website at www.raisingbc.ca

Claire Trevena

North Island

Claire was first elected in May 2005 and was re-elected on May 12, 2009.

Rob Fleming

Victoria-Swan Lake

Rob Fleming was elected on May 17, 2005 as the MLA for Victoria-Hillside, and re-elected on May 12, 2009 as the MLA for the re-configured consti