A group of concerned parents in Smithers have sent an open letter to local politicians regarding the childcare crisis within the community.
The letter is urging all levels of government to swiftly resolve the childcare crisis
According to local parent Lisa Feinberg, many parents within the community have had no option but to reduce work hours because of the lack of childcare for infants and toddlers.
She said due to the lack of staffing and licensing issues she no longer has a spot for her daughter at one of the local daycares,
“I’m due to go back to work at the very beginning of January and my spouse also works, so we were just left scrambling,” Feinberg said.
She added she brought the idea up to a local councillor who didn’t know how severe the childcare crisis is.
According to Feinburg, she is trying to ask her mom to come to Smithers from Toronto which she is calling a band aid solution.
She says she would like to see some funding go towards helping getting Early Childhood Educators in the region.
“If the Province or Federal government is able to put a small amount of money, even a couple hundred thousand, you could create incentives to get people here quickly that could solve the problem,” Feinberg said.
She added that a couple of rooms in daycares could make a huge difference.
In February, the Town of Smithers created a Childcare Plan that recognized access to childcare is an essential service to the community.
The plan also identified several shortfalls including the lack of placement for infants and toddlers under 30 months old.
According to the letter, no update has been made regarding the progress on the recommendations included in the Childcare Plan.