_ Daycare a family

Dear Sir:
I do not fcel responsible for
parenting other people’s crea-

“tions, In the case of life's
: tragedies. — death, illness,
* divorce, brutality, and abandon-
ment — ] would expect any civi-
lized community to step in and do
the: necessary caring, no matter
what it costs out of my taxation.

Life in Terrace was no bowl of
cherries in 1946 when I arrived,
believe me. However there were
‘caring people who looked after
my child when I was too ill to do

‘so, Money was as scarce as hen’s

teeth at that time in Terrace.

--» However the cost of living was
- the highest in Canada, a pound of
coffee was over $5. However we
didn’t expect ihe taxpayers to
substitute our duties of parenting.
’ They were our beloved children
and-no malter how often we as

. parents had to go without, tighten
‘our bells, elc., we considered our

‘children our responsibility and
certainly our cost. I can hear the
“that was then and this is now’?
inane reply which my age group
hears so often,

However the major issue is not
the times but the responsibility. I
know il only requires one male
and-one female to create another
of our species but in some cases
ihere ends the responsibility.

Ido wish that included in the
sex education programs is the
cost of bringing up a child. The
responsibility required in parent-

Reality
check

Dear Sirs:

I am wriling in response to Mr.
Papais’ letter, Feb, 23, 1994.

[am a family daycare provider
and I agree with Mr. Papais on
the point that running a small
daycare center can be beautiful.

. Providing quality daycare can
also “be very challenging, espe-
‘cially for the untrained person.

An untrained person can legally

run a family daycare center in
his/her home. This person can
care for up to seven children (not
eight). Only five children can be
in full-time attendance. The
remaining two children are in
after school care, which means
they would usually atiend half a
day if. they are kindergarten-
children.
’ When I add up those figures, I
come no where near Mr. Papais’
‘conservative figure’ of $3,840
per month.

Even at $3 per hour, which in
this town is the highest charge
“T've heard of, I would get $2,880
per month.

This is:

- If I could get $3 per hour {at
the moment I charge $2.75 per
hour, which is very high already)

- If [ had full enrollment at all

limes (children drop out and it
lakes some time to fill empty
Spaces)
_ + If 1 got paid for statutory holi-
days, school holidays, sick days
and olher times off (many care
givers don’t charge for some of
ihese)

- If I don't have any children of
my own at home. The number of
my own children at home is part
of ihe. seyen children ] can care
for.

The realily is (hat even with this

humber of $2,880, provided I
could get it, would be gross carn-
ings. Expenses such as repairs,
equipment, lunches and snacks,
supplics, vehicle, etc. have to be
deducted.
“On whatever is left, I have to
pay taxes. Does this still sound
like the money maker of the year?
- Vike running a Family daycare
center, bul [ also believe that
there should be a variety of
daycare available - larger and
smaller centers --to meet all the
different needs of children,
parents and care givers.

These centers, ] believe, should
be, like schools, in the neighbour-
hoods whiere people live to make

~ them accessible.

Yes, Mr. Papals, we do need
more ‘daycare spaces in Terrace.
Please help us support the open-
ing of centers and keep open ex-
" {sting centers of people who have
the necessary experience, back-
-ground training and space avail-
~ able to.provide quality long-term
care for our children.

“° Barbara Stelnbrenner,

. Terrace, B.C,

ing would be first and foremost.
The method seems to be well un-
derstood and well practised.

There is always a payment in-
volved in mistakes made in this
life but the payment should lie on
the shoulders of the individuals |
involved, not the community.

I can’t help thinking back, not
too many years ago when both
the Canadian governments at all
levels and all churches were con-
demning the Russian people for

child care spaces when the by-
law clearly stated eight were al-
lowed. Where was the building
inspector? Was Mr, Bromley told,
““go ahead we -will tackle the re-
zoning problem later’’? Or was
he to get lots of publicity and
force the change?

One humane quality I found
lacking in the child care providers
was ihe consideration of the
Tights of their neighbours to a
quiet and peaceful day.

“If two people want children and the joy of family, but
still wish to continue careers, they should pay the total
cost for another to do their jab.”

their use of daycares. Good
heavens, they were usurping
parental rights and destroying the
precious ‘family’. Now we seem
to be pushing these burdens on
our own governments,

If two people who want chil-
dren and the joy of family, but
still wish to continue carcers, they
should pay the total cost for an-
other to do their job. Anyone
wanting to get into the child care
business or service, as it has now
been dubbed, should see their
friendly banker, not dip into the
tax bag.

How on earth did Mr. Bromley
manage to build a home in a R1
area wilh fictitious garage doors
hiding an area to house 16 to 20

We didn’t buy these expensive
homes in a business or service
area. Indeed those of us who have
lived past our three score and ten
years and have contributed and
still continue to contribute fairly
heavily to the tax coffers, should

be considered. We have paid our:

way without dipping into the tax
bag to parent our children, even
to educate them. How come in
this so called advanced society
with our professed love of chil-
dren, ate we willing to place them
in the care of a compleic
Stranger?

As far as Ed Papais requesting
council to listen to the children,
he might get quite a shock when
the children say they want to be

home with Mom.

There is a lot of unemployment,
we know there are a lot of chil-
dren not receiving proper care, in-
deed not even being fed ade-
quately, so couldn’! these mil-
Hons we were told arc being
made available through school
boards be better spent on creating
jobs and cducating and correcting
shortcomings in families who can
neither give proper care nor feed
their children adequately.

Business and government hiring
mothers with. small children
should perhaps be required to in-
clude daycare on their premises,
thus employing these graduate
early childhaod education people.

There are a lot of empty build-
ing properties that could be made
available, including many church
buildings that are not taxed and
therefore should be available free
of charge to cover a need,

Ido hope the city council stand
their ground and see to it that the
taxpayers of all residential prop-
erty are considered on an equal
status.

Any children who don’t live on
a residential block should not be
looked after in a family dwelling
on that block. Parents who want
to work or have to work should
not have only their wants met.
We do live ina communily.

Sincerely,
Rita Kerr-Nielsen,
Terrace, B.C.

the Terrace Standard, Wednesday, March 9, 1994 - A7

Cail 732-4334 of
4-800-665-6526

Caneoan | AaSOC A TON
QIARETES y
ASSOCIAOH | OU DIABETE

Help open doors for

Diabetes

Please Volunteer

CANADIENNE

MARCH 7 - 12

Watch For Advertised

Fabulous Food Savings.
Collect all Four Letters to
spell the word CO-OP in

today’s paper. Then return
all Four to Enterto Wina

$100 Gift Certificate
QU Se
TERRACE CO-OP &

SHOPPING CENTRE & fe 2
4716 Greig Ave. 635-6347

L.

; Lydian Kitchens &
Interiors Lid.

‘ *Handling NHB, Timberlake, DeWils Cabinets

Kermodeli Dive Shop

* A Full Service Dive Shop

P.A.D.I. Training Facilities

CO-OP GIGANTIC WAREHOUSE Saée/ |

‘A a N

JUICER
Soy € oa

SANYO
PORTABLE
DOUBLE DECK

|Model MW 172 *& apes

KOSS
SPEAKERS

(Surround)
, SS

Selected SEGA
Games Priced
From

Sp ps2

LUXMAN
CD PLAYER

DZ 121
Reg. $499.00

$9 QQ

PIONEER
DOUBLE DECK

CTW 801
Reg, $549,00

"399""

KODAK

Model CD ACD-250

"269°"

PHOTO CD PLAYER

IMC
BINOCULARS

Anti-UV

> eZ p>

SONY.
RECEIVER

STRD 590
Reg. $599.00

S<3QGe?

CARVER
RECEIVER

HR 742
Reg, $999,00

>g6oQ9°°

SELECTED

PICTURE FRAMES

SONY.
CORDLESS PHONE

Model SPP-57

ete et a ee

PIONEER

LEARNING REMOTE CONTROL

Reg. $129.95

Sq CS aed

SONY.
8 mm PLAYBACK UNIT

GVM-20
Reg. $1,199.95

FEEQG

SANYO
KARAOKE CD PLAYER

Model CDP-41

a 5:

Selected Super
Nintendo Games
Priced From

> A Fp oS

SANYO
CAMCORDER

VMEX30
‘Reg. $1,199.95

>Q@QoQ?>

JVC
CAMCORDER

GRAX 33
Reg. $1,199.95

*899°°

JVC
SINGLE DECK

Model PC-111

NIKON
ZOOM LENS

200 800 Camera

> Ear °°

CARVER
CD PLAYER

SOA/H10
Reg. $499,95

$9QOQ?>

BOSE
SPEAKERS

Acoustimass 3
Reg. $875.00

4.99°°

PORTABLE

Model M-8100

SONY.
DISCMAN

Model D-421

ROCKFORD
CAR AMPLIFIER

Fosgate Power 300
Reg, $1,449.00

SONY.
MULTI CHONNELL AMPLIFIER

TAN 220
Reg, $599,00

*349°°_

635-4948

f. ag

!

635-5333 |