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Mom the Vote: Early Childhood in BC

Mom the Vote: Early Childhood in BC

The provincial election writ drops today, which officially kicks off the 2013 election campaign. As British Columbians prepare to head to the polls, we’re calling on you to mom the vote. If we want to create a province that Vancouver moms and families can be proud to call home, we need to get involved. To that end, we’ll be sharing articles from now until the provincial election day on May 14, 2013. We’ll be asking you to share your thoughts, as well. VancouverMom.ca is non-partisan. In fact, members of our team hold a variety of political opinions. But wherever you stand, we believe strongly that Vancouver moms need to make their voices heard.

mom the vote early childhood roundtable
Provincial Director of Outreach Pamela Martin addresses the moms

Speaking with Stephanie Cadieux and Moira Stillwell

One of the most pressing issues for Vancouver families is the state of early childhood in British Columbia. Whether we’re talking about childcare, health care, accessing services or education, we’re living in the trenches. When we recently had the chance to attend a roundtable with the Honourable Stephanie Cadieux, Minister of Children and Family Development, and the Honourable Dr. Moira Stillwell, Minister of Social Development, we seized the opportunity.

Stephanie Cadieux spoke about the BC Early Years Strategy, which was unveiled in February by Premier Christy Clark. The plan features a provincial early years office, a province-wide network of early years centres, the new BC Early Childhood Tax Benefit and more childcare spaces. In total, the plan allocates $76 million in additional spending on early years services. However, Minister Cadieux cautioned that it won’t all happen at once, saying that for the first year of the plan they’re just assessing the current state of early years services, and engaging in planning.

mom the vote moira stillwell
Hon. Dr. Moira Stillwell listens to Katharine Todd Millar

Challenges Accessing Services

The mothers at the roundtable expressed concerns about inconsistencies and lack of access to services. Some communities are more severely under-served than others, when parents are searching for daycare, trying to enroll in Strong Start, or attempting to access other services. Many different government programs exist, each with their own criteria and oversight. The result is that parents are frustrated and scrambling to find the help they need, when they need it. Stephanie Cadieux recognized this dilemma, and communicated that this is what she’s working to address. As you get out there and mom the vote, it will ultimately be up to you to decide if she’s the best person for the job.

Dr. Moira Stillwell is a Vancouver mom and a medical doctor. She talked at length about the challenges that parents of special needs children face, both within and outside the medical system. She highlighted a shortage of child psychiatrists as a particular problem facing BC parents. The moms also addressed their concerns about bullying, and accessing information on government programs to Minister Stillwell. She highlighted work that her ministry is doing, drawing on programs in other provinces. As a group, we also discussed innovative approaches to balancing work and family, including ways that government can encourage employers to consider alternative work arrangements.

Mom the Vote!

There’s no doubt that there are challenges facing BC families, and there’s no doubt that Stephanie Cadieux and Moira Stillwell are aware of those challenges. Recently, our Managing Editor Amber Strocel had a chance to appear on Top Story on the new BC1 to discuss some of those issues. To find out more about how our kids are faring, watch the video online.

As you get out there and mom the vote, we’d encourage you to ask questions of our elected officials and political candidates. Find out where they stand on the issues that matter to you, and let them know what services would help your family to flourish. It may not have the result you’re hoping for right away, but in the end it’s only by letting the people who represent us know what’s important to us that we can expect them to take action on our behalf.

Are you preparing to mom the vote this May? What issues are important to you? Leave a reply and let us know!

View Comment (1)
  • Definitely going to Mom the Vote this May! Great initiative. I would say primarily, Child Care is the biggest issue for me, with a 2.5 year old at home. I think any mom/dad- preneur would hail a $10/day plan as liberating! Imagine how this would boost small businesses and entrepreneurial activities. Also, the environment is key. All our futures depend on keeping our environment healthy.

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