(Halifax) – It looks like Canada’s largest ‘Big Box Daycare’ chain has its sights set on Halifax.
Kids and Company, the largest private child care chain with 24 centres across the country, has meetings set up for this week at both Dalhousie University and the IWK Children’s Centre.
The union representing 11 non-profit child care centres in Nova Scotia says this is a major step backwards for the sector.
CUPE Nova Scotia President Danny Cavanagh says, “We do not want to see a large, Ontario-based corporation moving into Nova Scotia to make millions of dollars from providing more for-profit child care.
“Nova Scotia needs a public child care system that is founded on the ‘quad’ principles of quality, universal, accessible and developmental,” he says.
Kids and Company has scheduled information sessions as follows:
• March 3 at 12:30 p.m. in the Dal Student Union Building, Room 303.
• March 4th from 10:30 am-1:15 am and 6:00 pm-6:45 pm in the IWK’s O.E.
Smith Auditorium
Says Cavanagh, “Early childhood education is essential to support parents’ employment and learning, and necessary in any poverty reduction strategy. For-profit child care is not the answer for working families in Nova Scotia.”
For information:
Danny Cavanagh John McCracken
CUPE N.S. President CUPE Communications Rep.