“

4.

Randi and. Toni Sorensen, 19 “months, are all smiles now that their mom found a full-time daycare provider for them. Parents in Terrace are

having an increasingly difficult time finding licenced daycare spaces ‘for children.

_ SARAH A. ZIMMERMAN PHOTO

4

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“Lengthy waiting lists plague parents looking for day care spaces.

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A special report by “Sarah A. Zimmerman

The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, September 20, 2006 - A5

se
CORRESPONDENCE FOR THE TERRACE STANDARD
The Mail Ba
7 3 §

The rest of the story

Dear Sir:

I was more that a little disappointed by the article “Ter-
race in dentist deficit” that appeared in the Sept. 6 issue of
The Terrace Standard.

I] had personally spoken at length with writer Sarah’

Artis and given her some great information which, had

it been. included in the article, would have ‘put an entirely
different view on the subject.

_ First some house keeping. There are-actually seven
dentists practising in Terrace a fact that can. be easily col-
laborated by a quick glance at the yellow pages. This dra-
matically changes the patient to dentist ratio from 2,100

to 1,700 which is much closer to the provincial average .

of 1,400.
I discussed with Sarah at length about some of the dif-

“ficulties faced by graduating dentists and the challenges
: that one meets attracting them to the northwest... to

But also told her about all the dentists that are moving

to Terrace — one this year and another is coming in spring
_ of 2007. .

The really great part of the story is that the dentists
coming to Terrace are not coming here becduse of any “fi-
nancial incentives”. or because they’ can “be busier” here
‘than elsewhere. cos

They are coming because: they were raised in Terrace
and are: looking forward to coming home.

A Strategy which is proving to be successful in attract-
itig graduating dentists is “ made in Terrace” . The local

educational system deserves a great deal of the credit for

preparing students and encouraging U them lo take up post:
secondary education.
The local dental community gives an annual ‘scholar

ship and mentors area young people who demonstrate an>

interest and have the aptitude:to succeed in the profession
of.dentistry. These efforts arc’ showing some promising
_-Fesults.:

Dr. Giebette Cooper DMD, a graduate of our local -

‘Caledonia high school in 1996, has returned to Terrace -

and her husband Michael Cooper, also a graduate of our

local Caledonia high school, is completing his dental stud-

"ies and will be joining her in practice in the spring of 2007.
‘They are coming back to Terrace to practice dentistry and « .
_faise their family.

Readers may ‘remember Vincent Drouin, featured in:

The Terrace Standard in 2005 as a local student studying’
dentistry who intends to return to Terrace upon graduation
to practice dentistry (2009).

So once again, Sarah, there are indeed ‘dentists moving ;

to Terrace or better yet there are dentists who are coming =}
home. That really should have been the best. Part of the a

story. °

_ “There’s people even willing to separate their
kids and that’s kind of a sad thing,” says Paulson,
adding that in her experience siblings thrive when
they’ re placed together.» *

For Annette Krause, separating her twin girls
‘was out of the ‘question, but she understands why
some parents would resort to that. ”

“My children will always have each other, they ‘
are going in together, they are soulmates together
and I would never, ever separate them.” she said.

“I would never sacrifice them being together.”

Other parents are choosing to enroll children
in several different daycarcs, taking’ Spaces where
and when they are available.

‘That means placing children in several new
environments, which many early childcare éeduca-
tors say can be stressful.

Children, who already have a difficult time
adjusting to new situations, people, places and
daycare rules, are now having to adjust to several
new places.

It also makes those early morning drop- -offs
more difficult and time consuming when multiple
children are placed in numerous facilities.

Licensed family childcare providers are regu-
lated by the provincial government. Providers
have strict caps on how many children they may.
care for and that limit is further divided by age.

No facility run by just one adult may have
more than seven children. Of those children, only
three may be under the age of three, one may be

" under the age of 12 months and five children may
be under the age of five. :

Providers ‘may also accept temporary place-
ments with the approval of the existing parents —
but the total number of children may not exceed
seven.

Paulson says it would be beneficial to allow .
home-based care providers to take on more of the
‘older children.

“They should change the age a bit and allow |
people to take eight kids as long as they are a bit
older,” Paulson says.

college daycare because‘I’d been on the waiting
list for quite some time,” she says, adding having
‘a licensed care provider was critical.
-Skeena MLA Robin Austin says the childcare
. shortage puts parents in a situation. where they’ ll

Annette Krause is just one of a. growing num- __ settle for arrangements that are not ideal. _

-ber of people raising the alarm on what is-becom- “T think there is a lot of informal daycare hap-
ing a childcare crisis in Terrace. "_ pening,’ ’ Austin says. *

The mother of three was shocked at how few _- “Situations where people are leaving their chil-
licensed childcare spaces there are in Terrace and dren with a friendly neighbour down the street or
was blown away when she discovered how few a relative and that’s not necessarily the best thing
of those > daycares have .room for new children to. for their child. It could be that that child is sitting
enroll. ; pet vo tt 2 in front of.a television all-day long.” . ¢ .

“Tt was traumatizing,” " Krause says. Iw was in - Prior to his 2005 election, Austin worked as
tears when I finally found somebody and I was a social worker and with the Kalum Horseshoe
happy with her — it was a total relief.” Community School Society, a group that works

Nobody knows how few spaces there are avail- within area schools and develops programs for
able in Terrace better than the people at the Child — school aged children.

Care Resource and Referral (CCRR) office at the He believes children who lack daycare experi-
Family Place. ences, which promote early childhood education,

The program keeps a list of licensed childcare are not as well prepared for school when they. get
providers in Terrace and distributes information _ to be that age. .
to parents, but this fall the news they were giving “I certainly noticed that incoming kids com-
parents looking for daycare wasn’t optimistic. ing into kindergarten were not ready to learn at

“Parents are frustrated because they can’t the kindergarten level because they haven’t had
find care,” says Gayle Holtom, a coordinator for a lot early childhood education experiences,” he
CCRR. says, adding those early experiences are critical

“A lot of people — yes — are at their wits’ end , for developing sociai skills and learning strategies

- when you tell them there is no space for them. to help children adapt easier to school settings.
We’ll give them the names that we have even Kim Paulson has run a licensed daycare out of
though the centre is full, because there could be — her home in Terrace for the past five years. She
changes, but generally every place is full.” agrees the space shortage has become more dire

And that’s exactly what Krause says she expe- _in recent years.
rienced. Her advice to parents: don’ ‘walt until the &There was way:more care . out there when I
last minute to find a daycare provide started,” Paulson says. “A lot of other daycare pro-

‘Krause started looking for a daycare for her | viders have left, they aren’t doing it anymore.”
daughters at the beginning of August. Shehadhad. _—At least one daycare in Terrace shut down this
her daughters on a. waiting list at the Northwest year because its operator moved. away,. putting ..
Community College’s daycare for some time and _ added pressure on the remaining’ daycares, which
admits she didn’t have a backup plan if the spaces already have waiting lists. .
didn’t open up before school started. Paulson gets between three and five calls from

. Three weeks before classes were to begin, she _ parents looking for full-time childcare spots each
started searching for an alternative - the spaces week. This is'one of the busiest times of the year .

raumatizing,
That’s how: a ‘Terrace’ mother de- “

scribes her experience searching for a

daycare provider for her twin 19- ‘month-

_ Dr. Thomas Nenninger, ae

old girls. Terrace, B.C.

“Ath was morally right |

Dear Sir:

When Giannino Pretto. informed me of the results of
his meeting with the Shell reps that they would buy him
out, my first reaction was to be happy. 4)

‘At least-he and Sheila ‘would be able to clear ‘hein’
selves from such an oppressive debt; ‘caused’ by’ circum-—
stances long before his purchase of the property...

My second reflection was that it is certainly a shame
that business acumen has receded so far that large mul-
tinational companies believe and act as though they are
omnipotent and that their decision is the right decision.

There are several persons in the community that re-
member. quite clearly the preexistent conditions of this
site prior to redevelopment by Shell: These were condi-
tions which at that time were considered quite normal and

“as is the case with many. other circumstances, is not ac-
ceptable now.

In my. opinion, Shell was fully cognizant of these con-
ditions and was attempting to offload the financial clean- 4
up.. an

_ Thanks to many caring individuals in the community
_ who became involved in promoting the circumstances to
‘|. the media, especially the local press, Shell was forced into
accepting their responsibility. once the findings of the tests sy
proved that the contamination was of an age-prior to the .
Pretto’s purchase of the property.

Giannino and Sheila are very thankful that the people
of Terrace stood up to them, that their future was com- -
pletely buried were it not for-the community response. |

For many years it has been very convenient to shop for .
specialty items in their unique store; to be able to buy gas
at a convenient location with such a friendly, personable *
atmosphere.

It will be a shame to lose this, but at least we will have’
the satisfaction of knowing that’ what has. been accom. °

i
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1
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she’d been banking on didn't open up.

After three weeks of frantic searching, con-
vinced she would not be able to attend classes at
the college if no care was found, Krause landed

because of the resumption of school classes, but
she gets calls looking for spaces year-round.

- And parents are willing to take just about any-
thing they can get to” ensure their children are

And though the restrictions make finding care

difficult, both Paulson and Krause agree the rules
are in-place a for good reason — the. well being of
the children.

two spots in a daycare for both her girls.
In the weeks that she was searching for spaces,

’ Krause was in panic mode.

“T really thought I was going to get in at the”

cared for.

“They are just stressed right out, there is just
no daycare, everywhere they call is all full so they
are just stressing,” says Paulson.

“You still want quality care for y your children .

and when there are too many kids, what type of
care are you actually’ getting?” she says.

| Critics slam fed child care benefit.

THREE DAYS of childcare at $35

per day or four packages of diapers .

at $25 each.

That’s what parents can expect to.
glean from the federal government’s
new Universal Child Care Benefit
‘cheques which amount to $100 per
child under the age of six.

"The benefits were rolled out in
July by the federal Conservatives.
They are receiving mixed reviews
from parents and child care advo-
cates and public officials.

“If you are paying $30 a day for
child care and you get $100 then
-you can buy three and third days of
care,” says Coco Shau, a coordinator
for the Skeena Child Care Resource
and Referral office in Terrace.

“Does that help? Sure. If that is
taxed then you can buy less.”

The benefit is taxable and Skeena- -

Bulkley Valley MP Nathan Cullen
charges that taxing $100 a month is
“offensive”, given the long waiting
lists and high costs of child care.

“It doesn’t even come close to
-meeting the needs,” says Cullen, who

has spoken to constituents who say

there is a dire shortage of licensed
daycare spaces in the northwest and
he’s hearing the same reports from
MPs across the country.

“People are finding months and
sometimes years for waiting lists,”
Cullen says, adding the severity of
the shortage varies from community
to community.

Parents receiving the money say
it’s welcome, but it does not address

the greater problem of providing day

care spaces.
Annette Krause, a mother of twin
19-month-old girls, says the money
would barely help cover the monthly
cost of gasoline to drive between her
home at Lakelse Lake and the girls’
daycare in Terrace, never mind sub-
sidizing the cost of childcare.
Krause is a student at Northwest
,Community College and her children
go to a licensed daycare nearby.

“T think it helps, but I don’t think
it’s enough,” says the mother of
three.

“T think Stephen Harper should
be in our situation and try it himself
and see how far it gets him.”

Shau says she hasn’t heard a lot

of feedback on the new program

from parents but worries the money

can’t replace federal funding to the

province that has been cut.

“J think that money is welcome
but.I don’t think parents are really
aware of the kind of funding that it
is replacing,” Shau says.

The federal government cut $455
million in federal funding from
its Early Learning and Child Care
Agreement, leaving childcare pro-
viders and advocates throughout the
province wondering what will re-
place that money. ;

Linda Reid, the new minister of
the beleaguered children and fami-

‘lies ministry, released a letter last

week in an attempt to reassure par-

‘ents that though the federal money

has been cut off, the B.C. govern-
ment “will endeavour to maintain all
other child care services to the end .
of the current school year.”

“Moving forward, the province

"will continue to look at innovative

ways to ensure British Columbia
families have a range of quality,

. flexible and inclusive child care op-

tions to accommodate the loss of
federal funding.”

Some parents don’t realize they
are eligible for the new federal pro-
gram.

If a‘ person is already receiving
the Canada Child Tax Benefit, the
cheque should be sent out automati- —
cally.

If not, parents of children under
the age of six must enroll to receive

. the payment by filling out a Canada

Child Tax Benefit application avail-
able on the Canada Revenue Agency
Web page at : www.cra-arc.gc.ca or
by calling 1-800-959-2221.

plished | is morally right.

Ron Gowe, 7

Pricey pair of shoes

Dear Sir:

In August 1 went shopping to buy some new. work .
shoes. Like any other proud Terracite, I decided to visit
a local store.

After five to 10 minutes of browsing, I fell in love with
a pricey pair. Now, I’m not the type to rush off and buy
$200 shoes spur of the moment, so I took a minute to.think .

Terrace, B.C. :

!

about it. I even joked about being in the doghouse for this :

one.

Instead of offering any customer service, the owner of
the shop s said to the saléslady, “Tell her to go to Walmart.
Tell her she is a typical Canadian who can’t afford to shop ©
here. Walmart is where she belongs!”

You can’t imagine the rage I felt. My heart goes out

: to the local business owners who may feel threatened by .

these larger chains, but why chase away any support that
comes your way? .

I won’t name the business that embarrassed me to no
end, I have a feeling you may already be known. ©

And if you happen to read this, remember that it is Ca-

and to mind your tongue in the future.

we Terrace, B.C.

About the Mail Bag

‘nadian locals that for some reason keep you in business, —

-Amy Sunberg,

The Terrace Standard welcomes letters. Our address
is 3210 Clinton St., Terrace, B.C. V8G 5R2. You can '
fax us at 250-638-8432 or e-mail us at newsroom® .

terracestandard.com. No attachments, please. Name,
address and phone number required for verification.

“gg