Daycare owners protest funding changes

Dozens of private, for-profitdaycare owner-operators gathered outside the legislature on Thursday to protest funding changes.

The Gallant government is shifting top-upsubsidies from existing owner-operators to theemployees ofnew daycares, saying it will encourage the creation of new centres andmore spaces, which the Liberals promised to do in the election.

But daycare owners, likeSachelle Fidler,who are fighting the changes to the Quality Improvement Financial Program, say there's no need to create new spaces.

They say there's already a glut of available spots on the market for children aged two to five.

"It's a fact that families are leaving this province every day to go work in other places, so the creation of 6,000 new child care spaces is not needed."

Connie Wheaton agrees. "You can ask any daycare owner here today and ask them if they have a spot available, and they'll tell you they have a spot available," she said.

"The government has all our statistics. Every year we have to fill out how many spots. And we surveyed all of the daycares: 'Do you have a spot?' 'Yup.''Do you have a spot?' 'Yeah.'"

Wheaton contendsit's not fair for the government to fund new daycares that represent a competitive threat.

"How can we keep our doors open if you're opening up thousands of more spaces?"

Daycare owner-operator Kim Smith, of Oromocto, says she got Early Childhood Education certification based on a promise that it would guarantee her the top-up funding.

"They're taking the money away that they promised me for having my ECE. I'll have staff that are making more than I am at that centre. It's going to hurt me personally, my home and my children," she said.

Tory motion condemning changes amended

Smith was among the owners who travelled to the legislature to show support for amotion by the Progressive Conservative Oppositioncondemningthe government for "its failure to protect, promote and defend the interests of daycare operators and workers and families in need of daycare."

The motion called on the government to "acknowledge its errors and reverse the cut of $2.4 million from theQuality Improvement Financial Program for private daycare owners and operators."

But the Liberals used their majority to water down the motion so that it supported the government, and then passed it.

The amended motion removed the language condemning the government and calling it an error and changed it to resolvethat the legislature "support the increase" in funding for theprogram.

The government hasarguedit is not cutting the $2.4 million in funding, butredirecting it to allow newly hired workers to be paid $5 per hour more if they get required training and $3.07 per hour more if they don't.

In addition, it is increasing the fund by more than $400,000.

Education Minister SergeRousselle says he plans to meet with the daycare owners again next week,but there's no indication he's rethinking the changes.