(Kingston) The Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care and the Canadian Union of Public Employees are bringing their Stepping Up for Child Care tour to the Kingston area with a workshop and forum this week.
The Kingston tour stop is part of a province-wide public awareness and advocacy campaign designed to inform Ontarians about the deepening crisis in child care. The urgent need for this type of campaign has been clearly illustrated by the fact that the issues-oriented workshop, which is geared to child care providers, managers and advocates, filled to capacity almost immediately.
The forum, open to parents, child care workers and operators, students, politicians, the media and the wider community, is being held in Kingston on Wednesday, February 7th from 7:00 9:00 p.m. at the Arlington Banquet Halls, 725 Arlington Park Place.
The forum discussion will be lead by a panel that includes:
- Cindy Evans, local parent of a child in care who will share her experiences
- Rick Downes, Kingston City Councillor who has dealt with child care issues in his constituency over the past three years
- Mary-Anne Bd0061rd, Executive Director, Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care
- Martha Friendly, Child Care Research and Resource Unit, University of Toronto
- Shellie Bird, CUPE Local 2204, Child Care Workers of Eastern Ontario
Also speaking at the forum will be invited guests Leona Dombrosky (MPP, Hasting-Frontenac-Lennox & Addington and Liberal Childrens Critic) and Shelly Martel (MPP, Sudbury-Nickel Belt and NDP Childrens Critic).
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For more information:
Melanie Coyle, Lennox and Addington Resources for Children
(613) 354-6318
Susan Sperling, Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care
(416) 538-0628
John McCracken, CUPE Communications Representative
(416) 292-3999