Music filled the air Sunday afternoon in Dawson Creek as the community came out to support City Kids Day Care.
This Community Celebration of Child Care was held outside the Central Middle School field and organized by the Save City Kids Day Care campaign – launched by the staff at the daycare (members of CUPE 2403), parents of the children who attend the daycare, and child care advocates.
The group joined together after Dawson Creek City Council decided it “no longer wants to be in the business of daycare” and announced the much needed municipally-run daycare would close it’s doors on June 29th. Like many BC communities, Dawson Creek is facing a chronic shortage of daycare spaces.
Sister Bev Lapointe, General Vice-President of CUPE BC brought greetings and reminded council that “child care is not a business, it is a responsibility.” Lapointe emphasized that it takes commitment, public funding and community to raise children.
Over 350 members of the Dawson Creek community came out to tell Mayor Calvin Kruk and Council that “we need City Kids”. A 20 foot banner was filled with the handprints and messages of children, parents, grandparents, workers and other members of the community who understand the need for quality, publicly funded child care. This banner will be delivered to City Council at their next meeting on June 11th.
The afternoon opened with a heart warming performance by the Kiwanis Children’s Choir led by choirmaster Judy McGowan, who came out of retirement especially to lend her support to the community.
The closing lines of the Cantastoria, an historic form of street theatre, performed by volunteers received a rousing cheer: families need child care, business needs child care, communities need child care, Child care NOW!
