The Hospital Employees’ Union says today’s announcement by social development minister Mike Farnworth of $350 million in funding to expand the NDP’s day care strategy and significantly reduce child care costs for tens of thousands of parents is a positive move that will help strengthen B.C.’s social and economic fabric.
“This expanded program will be a real benefit for our members and for families right across B.C.,” says HEU secretary business manager Chris Allnutt. “And the increase of licensed day care spaces means it will be easier for parents to overcome the challenge of finding high quality, affordable care for their kids.”
Given that parents’ challenges in finding accessible, affordable child care also spill over into the workplace, today’s announcement will also benefit B.C. employers, he said.
Allnutt says that the new NDP initiative means that Premier Dosanjh and his government are squarely ahead of any jurisdiction in North America when it comes to progressive action on child care.”
“We also appreciate that government recognizes that there’s still more to be done to improve the pay and working conditions for day care workers,” Allnutt says. “Mostly women, day care workers provide important services, but work in a low wage ghetto.”
About 40,000 of HEU’s 46,000 members are women, and the union represents day care workers at child care centres at a number of B.C. hospitals.