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B.C. says focus on more than just low fees for universal child-care programs

Published

3 years ago

March 31, 2022

VICTORIA — It was almost 40 years ago that Sharon Gregson says she became an advocate for child care out of necessity.

The spokeswoman for $10-a-day child care at the Coalition of Child Care Advocates for British Columbia said she is celebrating this week after Ontario became the final province to sign on to the federal government’s national daycare plan, which promises $30 billion in new spending over five years.

Gregson said she was 22 years old, raising two young children on her own and attending post-secondary classes when she realized she couldn’t find quality child care and couldn’t afford it even if she did find it.

“I instantly became an advocate because I recognized that politicians seemed blind to this gender equity issue,” said Gregson in an interview. “It’s a children’s rights issue and I spoke up as a young parent.”

Gregson, 59, said she’s now advocating for quality child care for her grandson.

B.C. was the first province to sign on to the federal government’s national child-care program last July. Under the agreement, Ottawa promised $3.2 billion to add 30,000 regulated care spaces by the end of 2026 and 40,000 by the end of 2028.

Quebec implemented its own universal child-care program in 1997 and has more than 200,000 children in subsidized child care. The Quebec government announced last October it would spend an additional $3 billion to create another 37,000 daycare spaces.

Gregson’s advice to other provinces and territories embarking on child-care programs is to focus on building a complete system, one that looks beyond low fees for parents.

“With (Premier) Doug Ford in Ontario just signing, they have a lot of work to do, not just with making a difference on the ground for families but actually putting systems in place that support building the infrastructure around child care and not having it just be ad hoc,” she said.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Ford signed a $10.2-billion, five-year child-care deal Monday to bring fees down to an average of $10 a day by the end of 2026.

B.C. Premier John Horgan made universal $10-a-day child care a key election promise in 2017 when his New Democrats formed a minority government.

B.C. launched its child-care program in 2018 and expects to have about 12,500 licensed, $10-a-day child-care spaces operating by the end of the year, said Gregson, who estimated the province has about 125,000 children in daycares.

The B.C. government said earlier this year when it tabled its budget that most families can expect to have their fees down to $20 a day by the end of the year.

“We are well on our way,” Gregson said. “That’s not to say there isn’t a lot of work to do.”

The deal between Ontario and the federal government marked a milestone for universal child care across Canada, said Katrina Chen, B.C.’s minister of state responsible for child care.

“It’s exciting news for Canadian families,” said Chen in an interview. “It’s great to see all the provinces on board. It’s totally doable. It’s an exciting time for all Canadian families, especially B.C. families.”

Chen said B.C. wants to make child care a core service people come to count on like public education and health care.

“You really need a comprehensive approach to make sure you build a new social program to make this work for everybody,” she said. “Every province has different opportunities and challenges. I know some provinces are only focusing on affordability, lowering the cost. Some provinces may be focused on creating spaces.”

B.C.’s plan is focused on child care that is affordable, accessible, inclusive and high quality, Chen said.

Gregson said it’s taken more than 50 years since the Royal Commission on the Status of Women in Canada first said there should be a national daycare plan, but the goal is now within reach.

“It is not in any way extreme to say this is historic,” she said. “This has never happened before. This is a turning moment for child care, for future generations not to have the same chaos in their lives when they have children as we have had in the past.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 31, 2022.

Dirk Meissner, The Canadian Press

News

Allen nets shutout as Devils burn Oilers 3-0

Published

8 hours ago

November 4, 2024

Anne Joseph

EDMONTON – Jake Allen made 31 saves for his second shutout of the season and 26th of his career as the New Jersey Devils closed out their Western Canadian road trip with a 3-0 victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Monday.

Jesper Bratt had a goal and an assist and Stefan Noesen and Timo Meier also scored for the Devils (8-5-2) who have won three of their last four on the heels on a four-game losing skid.

The Oilers (6-6-1) had their modest two-game winning streak snapped.

Calvin Pickard made 13 stops between the pipes for Edmonton.

TAKEAWAYS

Devils: In addition to his goal, Bratt picked up his 12th assist of the young season to give him nine points in his last eight games and now 15 points overall. Nico Hischier remains in the team lead, picking up an assist of his own to give him 16 points for the campaign. He has a point in all but four games this season.

Oilers: Forward Leon Draisaitl was held pointless after recording six points in his previous two games and nine points in his previous four. Draisaitl usually has strong showings against the Devils, coming into the contest with an eight-game point streak against New Jersey and 11 goals in 17 games.

KEY MOMENT

New Jersey took a 2-0 lead on the power play with 3:26 remaining in the second period as Hischier made a nice feed into the slot to Bratt, who wired his third of the season past Pickard.

KEY RETURN?

Oilers star forward and captain Connor McDavid took part in the optional morning skate for the Oilers, leading to hopes that he may be back sooner rather than later. McDavid has been expected to be out for two to three weeks with an ankle injury suffered during the first shift of last Monday’s loss in Columbus.

OILERS DEAL FOR D-MAN

The Oilers have acquired defenceman Ronnie Attard from the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for defenceman Ben Gleason.

The 6-foot-3 Attard has spent the past three season in the Flyers organization seeing action in 29 career games. The 25-year-old right-shot defender and Western Michigan University grad was originally selected by Philadelphia in the third round of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft. Attard will report to the Oilers’ AHL affiliate in Bakersfield.

UP NEXT

Devils: Host the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday.

Oilers: Host the Vegas Golden Knights on Wednesday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 4, 2024.

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Mahomes throws 3 TD passes, unbeaten Chiefs beat Buccaneers 30-24 in OT

Published

8 hours ago

November 4, 2024

Anne Joseph

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes threw for 291 yards and three touchdowns, and Kareem Hunt pounded into the end zone from two yards out in overtime to give the unbeaten Kansas City Chiefs a 30-24 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday night.

DeAndre Hopkins had two touchdown receptions for the Chiefs (8-0), who drove through the rain for two fourth-quarter scores to take a 24-17 lead with 4:17 left. But then Kansas City watched as Baker Mayfield led the Bucs the other way in the final minute, hitting Ryan Miller in the end zone with 27 seconds to go in regulation time.

Tampa Bay (4-5) elected to kick the extra point and force overtime, rather than go for a two-point conversion and the win. And it cost the Buccaneers when Mayfield called tails and the coin flip was heads. Mahomes and the Chiefs took the ball, he was 5-for-5 passing on their drive in overtime, and Hunt finished his 106-yard rushing day with the deciding TD plunge.

Travis Kelce had 14 catches for 100 yards with girlfriend Taylor Swift watching from a suite, and Hopkins finished with eight catches for 86 yards as the Chiefs ran their winning streak to 14 dating to last season. They became the sixth Super Bowl champion to start 8-0 the following season.

Mayfield finished with 200 yards and two TDs passing for the Bucs, who have lost four of their last five.

It was a memorable first half for two players who had been waiting to play in Arrowhead Stadium.

The Bucs’ Rachaad White grew up about 10 minutes away in a tough part of Kansas City, but his family could never afford a ticket for him to see a game. He wound up on a circuitous path through Division II Nebraska-Kearney and a California junior college to Arizona State, where he eventually became of a third-round pick of Tampa Bay in the 2022 draft.

Two year later, White finally got into Arrowhead — and the end zone. He punctuated his seven-yard scoring run in the second quarter, which gave the Bucs a 7-3 lead, by nearly tossing the football into the second deck.

Then it was Hopkins’ turn in his first home game since arriving in Kansas City from a trade with the Titans.

The three-time All-Pro, who already had caught four passes, reeled in a third-down heave from Mahomes amid triple coverage for a 35-yard gain inside the Tampa Bay five-yard line. Three plays later, Mahomes found him in the back of the end zone, and Hopkins celebrated his first TD with the Chiefs with a dance from “Remember the Titans.”

Tampa Bay tried to seize control with consecutive scoring drives to start the second half. The first ended with a TD pass to Cade Otton, the latest tight end to shred the Chiefs, and Chase McLaughlin’s 47-yard field goal gave the Bucs a 17-10 lead.

The Chiefs answered in the fourth quarter. Mahomes marched them through the rain 70 yards for a tying touchdown pass, which he delivered to Samaje Perine while landing awkwardly and tweaking his left ankle, and then threw a laser to Hopkins on third-and-goal from the Buccaneers’ five-yard line to give Kansas City the lead.

Tampa Bay promptly went three-and-out, but its defence got the ball right back, and this time Mayfield calmly led his team down field. His capped the drive with a touchdown throw to Miller — his first career TD catch — with 27 seconds to go, and Tampa Bay elected to play for overtime.

UP NEXT

Buccaneers: Host the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday.

Chiefs: Host the Denver Broncos on Sunday.

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AP NFL:

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NHL roundup: Kuemper helps visiting Kings shut out Predators 3-0

Published

8 hours ago

November 4, 2024

Anne Joseph

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Darcy Kuemper made 16 saves for his first shutout of the season and 32nd overall, helping the Los Angeles Kings beat the Nashville Predators 3-0 on Monday night.

Adrian Kempe had a goal and an assist and Anze Kopitar and Kevin Fiala also scored. The Kings have won two of their last three.

Juuse Saros made 24 saves for the Predators. They are 1-2-1 in their last four.

Kopitar opened the scoring with 6:36 remaining in the opening period. Saros denied the Kings captain’s first shot, but Kopitar collected the rebound below the goal line and banked it off the netminder’s skate.

Fiala, a former Predator, made it 2-0 35 seconds into the third.

The Kings held Nashville to just three third-period shots on goal, the first coming with 3:55 remaining and Saros pulled for an extra attacker.

Elsewhere in the NHL on Monday:

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DEVILS 3 OILERS 0

EDMONTON, Alta. (AP) — Jake Allen made 31 saves for his second shutout of the season and 26th of his NHL career, helping the New Jersey Devils close their western Canadian road trip with a 3-0 victory over the Edmonton Oilers.

Jesper Bratt had a goal and an assist and Stefan Noesen and Timo Meier also scored. The Devils improved to 8-5-2. They have won three of their last four after a four-game skid.

Calvin Pickard made 13 saves for Edmonton. The Oilers had won two straight.

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