Cooperative Agency - ONTARIO

[cfred]

You aren't saying anything that we haven't been saying for the past 18 months. We'd all love for the industry to allow us to carry on as we were. Unfortunately, the industry is in the midst of lots of big changes. It is clear to us that the Ministry is making concerted efforts to push ICP care right out of the market. And frankly, they've got a decent chance at doing that. Thanks to a few bad providers, the Ministry not doing its job properly and a concerted effort to destroy our image in the media, the view of ICP care has changed dramatically across the province. I"m seeing it on parent sites and in my own interviews, news articles and general conversation. People do want oversight and the desire for that is growing, regardless of what we know to be true about our exemplary safety record.

If UCC comes in...well...I think you can see what's going to happen. Unfortunately, waiting until UCC is here to get the agency up and running is too late. We have the Ministry's ear now. They've set up a working group with other childcare players to discuss this. This is our shot. Our goal is to get enough feed back now to show the desire of the ICP community to have another, affordable licensing option available to them. We're not forcing anyone to join. We're asking if this is something you're interested in. Even with UCC, the choice to join is yours. But if we can't even get it off the ground then that's one choice you don't have. This is a professional organization that will certainly give ICPs a much better image in the future. Aside from being able to continue in the event of UCC, we'll be held to the same standards and with the same respect as all other sectors of the industry.

I can't speak for anyone else, but I'm confident that many of us feel the same way: If we don't make strides to keep up with and adapt to a changing industry, we may just go the way of the Dodo. It's easier to stay put and keep the status quo, but I'm not sure it's in our best interests.

The other team leads and I have been very active politically and socially with Bill 10 and now getting set up for UCC. We've seen an awful lot that not everyone is privy to. Heidi continues to attend meetings with various officials and high ranking members of all facets of the childcare community in an effort to make sure there's still room for us at the end of the game. Not many know about or see what goes on behind CICPO, but I think you'd all be pretty impressed to see how far these women have pushed to help our sector. I'm in absolute awe of them. No one is trying to make a buck. No one is trying to steer anyone into anything detrimental. It is to help. That's it.