Market place program

[cfred]

Okay, now I'm really done......I posted one more thing on CBC. I hope, hope, hope, we get a more positive response from our efforts to make our voices heard.

"Really, the posts have all be removed? What's up CBC? Didn't you expect us to stand up and defend our work? Instead of damning every unlicensed provider out there, perhaps you could do more to promote our ability to become licensed in a way that is economically realistic? For us to work through a licensed agency, we have to follow the DNA requirements of 1 under 1, 2 under 2, 3 under 3. This will, in essence, force most of us to close our doors. With the full day kindergarten put in place, we cannot have more than 3 children at any given time as we've even lost kindergarten children now to what essentially adds up to (for most people) as free daycare. Without jacking my prices up to about double (at least), we will not survive. Oh, and let's not forget the percentage off the top claimed by the agencies to the tune of up to 35% of our income. Most of us will be forced to shut our doors. Please tell me what the public outcry would be like then, when 80% of children have NOWHERE to go.

I fully agree with the need for oversight of ALL daycare providers. However, the entire system needs to be revamped. Licensed daycare centres, both for profit AND non-profit need their bars raised. Home Daycare Providers need to have a system in place that offers some flexibility regarding space and age requirements and we must be able to obtain independent licensing which is affordable, realistic, reasonable and unique to the Home Daycare Industry. Home Daycares are NOT like large institutions which is why we're very often selected by parents. They often don't want their infants and toddlers in a large, institutional setting. They want them in a home. Even if there were enough Licensed Daycare spaces available, people would still come to us because we offer children what large centres can't - a second home."