2 parents on why they're fighting a proposal to close regional child care centres

Chris Prosser's two-year-old son Bryn has only been going to a child care centre run by the Region of Waterloo for a few months but he says it's been incredible to see how much his son has blossomed. 

Before, Bryn didn't have many words; the toddler's bigger sister did all the talking for him, says Prosser. He and his wife were even concerned for the boy's speech development — but not anymore. 

"Every time we take him to the centre, we're having these wonderful conversations and every time I pick him up he's literally bursting ... telling me in the car how his day's been," Prosser said in an interview on CBC Kitchener-Waterloo's The Morning Edition.

Prosser, who is the executive director of The Literacy Group in Kitchener and helps adults with literacy, says he understands how critically important early learning is for young minds.

"Time after time, it's been proven that learning starts at zero and it's a chain effect, a linked effect, between zero and adulthood where we continue to learn throughout," he said, noting the people he works with usually have their learning disrupted at some point in their childhood or teens years, which leads to problems later on.

Pandemic proved worth: parent

He's one of many parents speaking out about a recommendation to regional council to close five child care centres run by the municipal government.

Mother of one Angela Carter says it's "galling" the region is even considering the idea right now.

She says when the COVID-19 pandemic hit Waterloo region in March, frontline workers with children were needed to work, but childcare centres were closed.

The region stepped up and opened emergency childcare centres for those workers a month before any community childcare centres could open, she said. What they learned in that month was then shared with community operators, Carter says.

"They opened their doors on short notice and offered 24-7, 24 hours a day, seven days a week care for the kids of front line workers," said Carter. "Here we are right at a moment when we see most clearly how essential these centres are," she said.

Listen to the interview with Chris Prosser and Angela Carter:

Report considers other opportunities

Regional council is considering a recommendation by its child care review committee to close five child care centres run by the municipality.

It comes after a service review done by consulting company KPMG in 2019. That report highlighted 19 opportunities where the region could review, although nine of the suggestions were deemed to have no immediate savings, five are still under review and five others have been flagged for further action.

Among the items for further action are:

• Child care centres.
• Museum services.
• Facilities management including Waterloo Region Housing. 
• Specialized public transit and multimedia services like graphic design.

The report also suggested the region review several discretionary grants it provides to community groups and organizations.

The report to council will be considered in a special council meeting Wednesday night, where there are at least 30 individuals expected to address council.

That's over and above the 49 people who addressed council on Nov. 18 during a committee meeting about the service review and on top of a number of emails sent to councillors and correspondence sent to the region on the matter.

'It's about reinvesting'

Regional Chair Karen Redman says the potential decision to close child care centres is not one she or anyone on council takes lightly.

She says council discussed possibly closing the centres in 2015, but ultimately decided against it at the time.

Now it's up for review again.

"It's not about cutting. It's about reinvesting," Redman said in an interview, adding the 2021 budget is looking to add more public health nurses, temporary supports for businesses, funding for the anti-racism advisory group and more money for shelters for vulnerable people.

"We're really looking at how we take this opportunity to lean in, investing in our communities, so that's nobody's left behind."

Redman also noted one of the centres is in a school in Elmira, so the region and school board would look for a provider to take over operating those child care spaces.

Listen to the interview with regional Chair Karen Redman:

National plan in works

Carter, whose child is no longer in regional care, says she doesn't buy the argument that the region would save much money by closing the spaces. She says the region receives grant money from the province to run the child care centres. That with the fees parents pay means taxpayer dollars account for about 16 per cent of the budget to run the centres.

She also noted that the federal government announced this week in its fall economic update that more money in the 2021 budget will be earmarked for a national child care plan.

"We're also on the cusp of a major boost in federal support," Carter said.

"This is not a moment to close these centres. This is a moment for the region to start thinking about extending the excellent service that they provide to these people in our community."