Canadian Agricultural Safety
Association
The Current State of Child Care in Rural
Canada
Gail Watson, PHEc
3907 Vialoux Drive
Winnipeg, MB R3R 0A5
Phone: 204 889-9024 Fax:
204 885-2635
January 2001
Rural Child Care in Canada:
Directions for Farm Safety
Prepared by: Gail Watson, PHEc.
Canadian Agricultural Safety Association
1. The Current State of Child
Care in Rural Canada
NEWFOUNDLAND: Department
of Health and Community Services, Child, Youth
and Family Programs
Currently implementing a new
Child Care Act with a budget that has doubled
in the past couple of years. In order to deal
with the need for greater flexibility for seasonal
and shift workers, extended hours, isolated rural
residents, etc., they are moving to license family
home child care providers. The Child Care Services
Act allows two types of family home child care
licensing. Regional Health and Community Services
Boards license and monitor family home child care
agencies, funded through the National Child Benefit
Reinvestment Plan, or individually license family
home child care providers. An Agency approves
family homes under its license, based on up to
20 homes approved for each home visitor employed
by the Agency. Subsides are portable with the
child and are paid to the caregivers. Where the
need for childcare is sporadic, the situation
is considered on an individual basis regarding
subsides.
There are four classifications
for family home child care providers:
-
Entry level requires an
orientation course of 40 to 60 hours provided
free of charge through a self study distance
education program.
-
Level 1 will soon be available
through a distance education certificate based
on the program of the Family Day Care Association,
plus the orientation course. A one year Early
Childhood Education (ECE) certificate from
a community college and the orientation course
also qualifies as Level 1.
-
Level 2 requirements include
an Early Childhood Education (ECE) certificate
and a family child care certificate, or an
Early Childhood Education Diploma (2 years)
and the orientation course. Agencies require
the Level 2 classification for their home
visitors, as they monitor the family home
child care providers.
-
Level 3 requirements are
an ECE diploma and a Family Child Care certificate.
-
Level 4 is a University
degree and an ECE diploma or a recognized
Early Childhood Education degree from outside
the province.
Barriers That Relate
to Rural Child Care In Newfoundland:
At this point good support exists for quality
child care. The National Children's Agenda, the
research on the importance of the early years
and children's brain development are the main
factors involved in the expansion of quality child
care in Newfoundland.
NEW BRUNSWICK: Family
and Community Services
From 1993 to 2000 there has
been a 62% growth in centre-based care. At present
there are 342 licensed facilities. The community
day care homes however are relatively under developed,
numbering from 23 to 25. There are some part-time
nursery schools in rural/farming areas as well.
Subsides are portable to the child. Operating
grants were paid to centres from 1980 to 1996,
but do not exist now. The growth has been mainly
in privately operated centres which now make up
60% of the total facilities. The department is
currently looking at the national Early Child
Development Initiative to see what it might mean
for children ages 0 to 6 years in New Brunswick.
At this time there are no legislated
training requirements for staff of child care
centres in New Brunswick. By April 2003 however,
the Director or 1 in 4 staff have to possess
a one year ECE training program from a community
college.
Barriers That Relate
To Rural Child Care in New Brunswick:
There hasn't been the political will to put child
care higher on the provincial agenda. This partially
relates to the fact that there have been relatively
few advocates for child care in New Brunswick
pushing for changes. The provincial Status of
Women have been vocal at times. Rural communities
have not said much. A Child Care Association does
not exist at the present time. The province doesn't
provide any capital costs, start-up grants or
operating funds, and feels that government isn't
in the business of setting up child care facilities.
NOVA SCOTIA: Department
of Community Services, Early Childhood Development
Services
Child care services include
child care centres, family home day cares, family
resource centres and child development centres.
There are 365 licensed centres with over 200 operating
full day programs. Of these centres, 71 are non
profit with the remaining being commercial. The
child care program is presently undergoing a full
funding review.
As of July 2000, the subsidy
was changed to follow the child and was also extended
to the commercial sector. One hundred (100) new
spaces were provided to allow more choice and
will continue to be examined. The change to connect
the subsidy to the child has been very popular
in rural Nova Scotia. Subsides are also available
at non profit centres for seasonal workers such
as farmers/fishers who may need 6 day/week care
for certain time periods. Many of the Child Development
centres (where 50% of the parents fall within
the income guidelines) operate in rural Nova Scotia
and run half day licensed care programs and receive
half of the operating grant.
New regulations are coming in
regarding training. A trained early childhood
educator has a 2 year diploma.
Barriers That Relate
To Rural Child Care in Nova Scotia: The
major barrier is financial with lack of dollars
to support adequate wages for child care workers
to retain them in the profession and to provide
more spaces/choice for parents. The political
barriers are not an issue as best practice is
well known. Lobbying for rural child care has
not been a factor to date. A provincial Child
Care Association to which all care providers could
belong, also doesn't exist to provide a strong
voice. Geography is a barrier in Cape Breton and
along the eastern shore, as well as some inland
farming/rural areas.
PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND:
Department of Health and Social Services,
Community Services
All child care centres are licensed
in the same manner with subsides available in
licensed care. Flexibility exists to extend hours
of care, early openings and Saturday care, to
accommodate lobster fishers and fish plant workers.
Staff ratios also have some flexibility in small
kindergartens.
A pilot initiative was tried
with Agriculture Employment Services over the
summer to provide care to children of farming
families. Mainly students were hired and provided
with 30 hours of training. Farm families were
allocated so many hours of child care per week
and contributed some dollars towards gas for the
care givers vehicle. On rainy days when the farm
family did not require child care services, the
students went and assisted at the closest child
care centre.
Barriers That Relate
to Rural Child Care in Prince Edward Island: With
the exception of Charlottetown, most of the island
is considered rural. Because distances are not
a factor child care is quite accessible to most.
Providing flexibility in hours of care is more
the issue, with initiatives trying to address
this.
QUEBEC: Ministere
de la Famille et de l'Enfance
There are 115,000 child care
spaces presently available. The province estimates
that approximately 200,000 children under age
5 are in need of regulated care. A development
plan exists to increase by about 1500 spaces per
year until the financial year of 2005/2006. Approximately
half of these spaces are expected to be in regulated
family day care.
Child care is provided through
centres, both non profit and for profit and through
family home day cares. Recognized home day cares
are supervised by the centres and can have up
to a maximum of 9 children, ages 0 to 5 years.
Subsidies are available to all
centres, for all children, with the parents responsible
for only $5.00 per day for fees. Only the non
profit centres receive building, operating and
maintenance grants. In regulated home day cares
parents also only pay the $5.00 fee. Unrecognized
home day cares are allowed up to 6 children and
parents pay the full amount requested. Flexible
and extended hours are possible at the family
home day cares and this model is often used in
rural areas.
A series of twelve month pilot
projects are presently being carried out that
offer extended services during evenings, weekends
and overnights. One of these pilot projects is
in a rural area.
School boards are required to
offer full day kindergarten to 5 year olds and
to provide after school care programs. From an
administrative point of view, the Ministry of
Education has responsibility for all aspects of
services directed to 5 year olds while the Ministry
of Family and Children's Services is responsible
for programs directed to children 4 years old
and younger.
Trained child care workers are
those with either a 3 year program or a two year
program with 3 years experience. Subsidized centres
require two trained people for every three workers,
while for-profit centres require one trained person
for every three staff.
Barriers That Relate
to Rural Child Care in Quebec: The problem
of providing extended services
during evenings and weekends is still an issue
for farm families. It is hoped that the pilot
projects will result in some solutions that could
be implemented.
ONTARIO: Ministry
of Community and Social Services, Healthy Child
Development Branch
The province maintains responsibility
for legislation, regulation and policy pertaining
to child care, while the municipalities (consolidated
into 47 delivery agents) have responsibility for
the administration of child care services. The
licensing function remains at the provincial level.
Funding for fee subsidies (for parents), wage
subsidies (for child care staff), special needs
support and resource centres is cost-shared 80/20
between the province and municipalities. Supervisors
of child care centres require a diploma in early
childhood education and minimum of two years of
experience.
The province is presently considering
the recommendations of a Task Force on Rural Child
Care and Early Childhood Education. This task
force started in the spring of 1999 with the Ontario
Federation of Agriculture Rural Affairs Committee
reviewing child care issues, given restructuring,
education funding policy and other issues. They
identified the need for a process to ensure that
rural and farm family needs for child care were
addressed. A task force of stakeholders was set
up with the Ontario Rural Council providing a
forum to bring people and experience together.
The purpose was to provide the information networks
required to understand and advocate for rural
child care needs, as well as identify what rural
communities can do to address and move the issue
forward.
The process of the Task Force
was to review existing reports, pull together
ideas, and meet with the key provincial, federal
and child care groups in terms of provincial and
municipal realignment. The eleven (11) recommendations
reflect the four pillars of child care: affordability,
accessibility, flexibility, quality. While the
majority of the recommendations of the Task Force
on Rural Child Care go back to the 1995 Ontario
Rural Child Care Committee, the recommendations
regarding the realignment of child care services
and municipal responsibility are more recent.
The province did not begin the process of transferring
responsibility for child care services until 1997,
and the last municipal delivery agents did not
begin operating until January 1, 2000. The recommendations
are divided into three areas:
-
Day Nurseries Act - needs
to better reflect a changing society, and
a changing rural society
-
Realignment of child care
services and municipal responsibility - must
ensure that rural child care needs are addressed
-
Fragmentation - of information
and services must be eliminated to eliminate
barriers, duplication and inefficiencies
Barriers That Relate
to Rural Child Care in Ontario: Sufficient
financial resources were sited
as a significant barrier to meeting the child
care need with-in the province. Since 1995, the
rural voice hadn't been vocal until the more recent
forum and Task Force report. Strong advocacy groups
to move child care higher up the political agenda
is a factor, as well as workable options to allow
more flexibility. Another significant barrier
is the shortage of qualified and trained early
childhood workers, which then compounds the lack
of available programs in rural Ontario.
MANITOBA: Department
of Family Services and Housing, Child Day Care
Almost 1,100 licensed child
care facilities with over 22,000 spaces are available.
It is estimated that more than 30,000 children,
including over 1,000 children with disabilities
use these spaces each year. Some attend part-time
licensed nursery schools. Others attend licensed
child care centres or homes on a part-time or
full-time basis. There are about 2,000 early childhood
educators with diplomas or degrees in early childhood
education working in centres, and over 500 family
child care providers caring for children in home
settings.
The child care system received
an increase of $9.1 million (18%) in program funding
for their 2000/01 budget. Operating grants were
increased for centre infant and preschool spaces
and for Family child care homes. Five hundred
(500) more subsidized spaces were added bringing
the total number of funded spaces in Manitoba
to over 22,000. Funding for children with disabilities
in the child care system was also increased. The
maximum daily fee that can be charged was also
increased by 2%. The fee increase does not affect
those children who are subsided as they continue
to pay $2.40/day but the amount paid to the licensed
centre/family home by subsidy increases by the
2% if the full fees are charged.
A new unit funding model for
child care centres that recognizes Manitoba's
regulated staff-to-child ratios has also come
into effect. The unit funding model was designed
to help centres generate equitable revenue to
pay increased salaries to Early Childhood Educators.
A salary guideline was used by the Child Day Care
Regulatory Review Committee to determine the required
funds to support unit funding. Any requests for
exemptions or extensions to the proportion of
trained staff regulation will include a review
of the centre's salary scale by the provincial
Child Day Care office.
In 1999, funding was allocated
specifically for rural child care and additional
grants were available to programs providing extended
hour services. The number of rural programs has
slowly increased in areas where agriculture is
the main industry.
Early Childhood Educators are
classified at three levels with the untrained
person a Child Care assistant. Level 2 classification
is a person with a 2 year diploma from a recognized
Child Care training program at a Community College.
Level 3 classification is for those with a Degree
from a recognized University child care program
or a 2 year Diploma in Early Childhood Education
and at least 240 hours of further training in
a specialized area, such as management, infant
care, special needs care or aboriginal child care.
The Childcare-Family access
Network (C-FAN), a model for rural childcare delivery
initiated by Lakeview Children's Centre has sponsored
seminars in rural Manitoba to focus on the barriers
and obstacles to the successful establishment
of a quality child care system for rural families.
The C-FAN model is a hub model similar to a concept
introduced originally by South East Grey Community
Outreach in Ontario.
Barriers That Relate
to Rural Child Care in Manitoba: Low
wages for trained Early Childhood Educators has
meant that many have not stayed in the profession.
Distances, reduced rural population numbers and
the lack of trained child care workers available
in rural areas have been continuing barriers.
In addition, grants are reduced based on utilization,
with the intent that centres must assess community
need and develop services that meet these needs.
SASKATCHEWAN: Department
of Social Services, Child Day Care Division
A major interdepartmental initiative
began in 1993 developed a policy framework that
became known as the Child Action Plan. After a
process involving over 1200 groups and individuals
it was a statement of agreement and the guide
for actions, including vision, beliefs, principles
and goals. It represented nine government departments
and secretariats. The guiding principles of prevention,
interest of the child be primary, culturally appropriate,
supportive to family and community, collaborative
with partners, holistic, empowering and community
based, form the basis on which services for children
are developed and implemented.
The childcare options and resources
currently available to rural and farming families
are the same as those available to others in the
province. During the summer of 1999 dialogue in
Saskatchewan on the National Children's Agenda
one quarter of the respondents felt that "economic
security for families could best be improved by
providing adequate and flexible child care. The
lack of affordable child care is a tremendous
barrier for families, particularly women, trying
to return to, or enter the workforce." "With the
increased pressures requiring at least one parent
to work off the farm, the other parent often has
the responsibility for the farm work and care
of the children. This puts children in an unsafe
situation."
A change to the minimum amount
of education required to work in a child care
centre has been introduced. All staff are required
to have the minimum 120 hours Orientation to Day
Care course. It's being offered in a correspondence
format by community colleges and the costs, textbooks,
etc., are paid by the province, for all employees
of licensed centres who have not previously taken
the course.
Barriers That Relate
to Rural Child Care in Saskatchewan: Distances,
lower rural population numbers and lack of financial
resources are the major barriers. The political
will exists to make changes but dollars have been
a major restriction.
ALBERTA: Ministry
of Children's Services
The Ministry of Children's Services
offers a number of services and programs for children
and families in Alberta including child care services.
On April 1, 1998 Alberta moved
from a provincial model to a community/regional
model. There are 18 Child and Family Services
Authorities that oversee the delivery of child
and family services in Alberta. This community-based
system allows services and programs to be planned
on the basis of local need. Each of these Authorities
has a Board with members from the community. Programs
are designed that best meet the needs of their
region, however, the Authority must meet specific
standards in the way they operate. This allows
for flexibility across the province, while ensuring
standards are in place. Child to staff ratios
are an example of provincial standards. It is
expected that decisions made at the local level
will more accurately reflect needs and provide
greater flexibility in areas such as extended
hours.
Requirements for day care staff
are outlined in the Alberta Day Care Regulation.
Requirements for Program Directors of child care
centres are training, equivalent to a two year
diploma in early childhood education. One in four
staff are required to have training equivalent
to a one year public college early childhood education
certificate. All other child care staff are required
to have a 50 hour Day Care Orientation Course
or equivalent course work.
There are 545 day cares centres
in Alberta. Commercial day cares make up 70% with
30% being non profit. There are also 95 contracted
Family Day Home Agencies who approve individual
providers across the Province. Family day homes
are often where extended hours and flexible schedules
are more available.
The Child Care Subsidy Program
assists low income families whose children are
attending a licensed or an approved family day
home.
Barriers That Relate
to Rural Child Care in Alberta: The
major issues for quality care throughout the province
are the difficulty in finding and retaining qualified
child care staff; high tuition costs for post-secondary
training as a child care worker forces many staff
to remain at an entry level position; current
low salaries of caregivers has resulted in a high
turnover of trained staff in the child care field;
and difficulty in recruiting enough family day
providers who are willing to offer extended hour
child care and flexible scheduling to meet the
needs of rural families.
British Columbia: Ministry
of Social Development and Economic Security, Policy
and Research Division
Presently going through changes
to the provincial licensing regulations and moving
towards a publicly funded universal child care
system. Over the next three years specific groups
of children in care will have funding extended
directly to the child care provider on their behalf.
This initiative is aimed at resolving the affordability
issue for parents. The first step is before and
after school care with all licensed non profit
and for profit child care organizations receiving
grants from the province. The service will be
available during the school year at a cost to
parents of $7.00 per day and $14.00 a day for
school holidays. The province has budgeted $14
million for 2000/01 and $30 million for 2001/02
to fund over 20,000 spaces for school-age children
around the province under this initiative' as
well as the operating grants and grants for expanding
spaces. The B.C. government has indicated that
it is committed to going further to expand beyond
school-age child care and to provide affordable
child care to younger and younger children across
the province, as the budget permits.
A shortage of seasonal farm
workers has been experienced since Workers Compensation
banned children under 12 years from the fields.
The minister has indicated that a focus this year
is to examine how to respond to the access, hours,
and cultural issues of farm and seasonal workers
as they relate to child care.
Several pilot projects/research
projects have taken place to examine the many
factors involved in child care for seasonal farm
workers. These include:
-
Farmworkers and Their
Children, 1995, Prof Gurcharn S. Basran,
Charon Gill, Dr. Brian D. MacLean;
-
Farmworker Child Care
Project, 1995, Progressive Intercultural
Services Society; Rural Child Care Project,
1996/97/98, BC/Canada Strategic Initiatives
Project sponsored by the Penticton and District
Community Resources Society;
-
Local Solutions for
Local Needs Pilot Project, BC/Canada
Strategic Initiatives Project sponsored by
the Surrey Child Care Resource and Referral
Program;
-
Discussion Paper "Breaking
Ground - Developing Alternatives in Child
Care for Seasonal Workers in BC", Child
Care Visions (Human Resources Development
Canada) project sponsored by Abbotford Community
Services.
These projects have clearly
identified the major issues to be addressed. A
special focus group took place in February, 1999
to discuss Rural Child Care: Needs, Options,
Strategies, Resources, to share their knowledge
and to decide on next steps.
Barriers That Relate
to Rural Child Care in British Columbia:
The financial issues are the biggest issue. The
political will exists but quality child care is
expensive. Cultural factors are also significant
as trained child care workers are not available
in sufficient numbers who can speak the language
and understand the culture of specific groups
of seasonal farm workers. Programs need to be
more community driven in order to meet these needs.
Lack of flexibility around licensing requirements,
and dealing with extended hours are also barriers.
2. The Key Issues and
Challenges for Rural Child Care: (1)
Safety: Several
safety issues are unique for farm/rural children.
Their home is in the midst of the workplace and
hence the hazards increase because of this fact.
The nature of today's farming operation with increased
mechanization, larger more automated machinery
and greater use of chemicals, compound the safety
concerns. Varying seasonal needs and long hours
of work in peak periods, which require child care
for irregular hours that are often unpredictable,
all add up to very unique circumstances.
Another safety concern is for
the children of seasonal farm workers. Children
of farm workers may be exposed to pesticides and
other dangerous conditions at the work site and
in the fields, while their parents' work.
Multi-age grouping:
Childcare regulations are specific for the various
ages and stages of children under 12 years of
age, such as: infants, toddlers, school-aged,
etc. Rigid licensing requirements that separate
children on the basis of age, often don't meet
the needs of small rural communities and the childcare
requirements of farm workers who require care
for various ages under one roof.
Extended hour care:
When conditions are favourable farmers plant and
harvest their crops, often late into the night.
Seasonal farm workers report often requiring childcare
for up to 16 hours a day. Calving season for livestock
operations may also require extended hours of
care. In addition, the weather is usually unpredictable
and hence farm families and farm workers requirements
for childcare are also unpredictable.
Availability of trained
staff: This is a major issue as trained
early childcare workers are often not available.
While the importance of early childhood training
has been well researched and validated, the availability
of training programs within reasonable distances
for rural residents are often a factor. Within
certain cultural groups the availability of trained
staff who can speak their language and reflect
their culture is critical. This is particularly
significant for seasonal farm workers who are
often recent immigrants.
Facilities standards
and licensing requirements: While this
used to be raised as a barrier, now most feel
that the safety aspects over-ride the difficulties
of meeting requirements. Rural children should
have the right to the same standards as other
children.
Subsidy eligibility
for more types of programs: Flexibility
within the system to extend subsidy to a farm
family so they could hire a childcare worker in
their home, while both parents work on the farm.
Or, for a family to use the subsidy dollars to
hire farm help and one of the parents provide
the childcare.(2)
Subsidy eligibility
for more families: Regulated childcare
is not affordable for many families who need and
want this service. Depressed farm incomes often
means that much needed help cannot be hired. The
self- employed person with assets, but little
income, doesn't fit well with income standards.
Seasonal farm workers who are
immigrants and who fall within the family class
category are subject to sponsorship agreements
which make them ineligible for Canadian social
assistance programs such as welfare and childcare
subsidies.(3)
Ratios/staffing requirements:
Quality childcare requires that reasonable staff
to child ratios are met. Rural centres find that
they often exceed the staff to child ratios as
poor weather may mean that the children don't
require care. Part time staff, who don't mind
being on call can solve this difficulty, but are
often hard to find.
Transportation and location
issues: While farm and rural families
are quite used to driving considerable distances,
the location of suitable childcare may be too
far away to be of any use. The situation for seasonal
farm workers is usually the lack of available
transportation to get their children to suitable
childcare.
Cross-cultural issues:
These factors specifically relate to
seasonal farm workers, particularly in British
Columbia. In addition to the challenges of delivering
service to meet seasonal workers' needs for child
care which is low cost, providing extended hours
and accessible to the workers, the cultural issues
are also critical. Lack of culturally appropriate
child care that includes the use of translated
materials and interpretation services, and early
childhood training for care givers within the
predominate cultural groups such as the South
Asian community.(4)
Financial viability
for programs meeting rural community needs: A
licensed child care facility usually requires
about 32 spaces to be financially viable. In some
rural communities this may be difficult to achieve.
Extended hour care and licensing requirements
for staff to child ratios for multi aged groupings
compound the financial viability issue.
Community driven:
The lack of support for partnerships within rural
communities to meet local child care needs and
recognition at the provincial level that slightly
different non standard models be examined, are
barriers that persist.
3. Recommendations to
Address Rural Child Care Issues
(a)What can be done
to address the Key Issues and Challenges:
Safety: This
issue rates first priority. There is much that
can be done to increase awareness of safety issues
affecting farm children. The North American
Guidelines for Children's Agricultural Tasks regarding
best practice fordevelopmentally appropriate farm
tasks as published in part by Workplace Safety
and Health, Manitoba Labour and other partners,
needs to have distribution rights obtained for
reprinting and then be promoted to all farm families
in Canada.
Post secondary institutions
offering recognized child care training should
be provided with the developmentally appropriate
farm tasks and be asked to have the North
American Guidelines for Children's Agricultural
Tasks included in their courses dealing with
safety issues. Other resources such as the 20
minute video, Safe Children are No Accident,
could also be identified. The Canadian
Agricultural Safety Association is in an excellent
position to request the addition of this content,
as it a recognized authority across Canada on
safety, and is seen as an advocate for farm and
rural populations.
Efforts must be encouraged
and furthered to work in partnerships with: agricultural
commodity groups; provincial agriculture producer
organizations; federal and provincial departments
of Agriculture; provincial and national agriculture
credit corporations; public school systems at
the early and middle years; the provincial child
care authorities; the National Children's Agenda;
and farm/rural women's organizations. They could
all play important roles in disseminating child
safety information through their newsletters,
conferences and the efforts of employees/members
in collaboration with The Canadian Agricultural
Safety Association.
Multi-age grouping and
Extended hour care: Every province recognizes
that these challenges exist. Advocating for grants
for extended hour care is a possibility, as well
as seeking support for more licensed family child
care homes in rural areas. "Families need "one
stop" child care that provides for multi-age grouping."(5)
Lobbying to extend multi-age grouping
provisions with changes to Child Care Regulations
in provinces where necessary, would also be helpful.
Availability of trained
staff: After safety, this is the second
most important issue to be addressed. Rural, farm
and seasonal workers children should have an equal
right to quality child care as any other children.
Research shows that the most
important variable in quality of care is staff
training and experience. As the importance of
Early Childhood Education training has been so
well researched and validated, advocating for
the availability of training programs that, at
least in part, could be accessed via distance
education/correspondence courses would be helpful
in addressing the shortage of trained people in
rural areas. Often individuals operating family
child care homes would access training if it were
offered in a more flexible manner. It is recognized
that there are many aspects of early childhood
training that are best provided in settings that
allow one to experience the information, first
hand. However, some individuals already have child
care experience and can more readily apply the
required competencies, once they learn the information.
Utilizing study groups to pull students together
once a week in small groups based on proximity,
and/or practical learning opportunities condensed
to several training weekends, could be explored.
The Canadian Agricultural
Safety Association could make a significant contribution
to rural and farm child care by requesting pilot
training programs in rural areas for individuals
who would be recruited with-in the adjacent communities.
Training subsidies should be considered for these
pilot projects. The degree of success from such
an initiative would determine future action.
The availability of
trained staff to provide child care for seasonal
farm workers also requires that the additional
factors of culture and language be addressed.
Outreach efforts to specific cultural groups such
as the Punjabi communities to encourage individuals
to obtain early childhood educational training
would be helpful. "The development of multi-generational
programs and services that recognize knowledge
and authority structures and the current reliance
on kinship networks and community elders for child
care. Current service models, including "family
place" drop-in programs, could undertake initiatives
such as having Punjabi-speaking ECE trained staff,
offering pick-up and drop-off transportation,
and providing toy lending for families and in-home
care providers."(6)
Subsidy eligibility
for more families: In order to adequately
meet the need for seasonal farm workers, particularly
in British Columbia, newcomer families in the
Family-sponsored immigration category are not
currently eligible for child care subsidy. The
Canadian Agricultural Safety Association would
be a strong voice in support of the need for child
care subsidies for seasonal farm workers, in situations
where the agriculture industry requires the manpower.
Financial viability
for programs meeting rural community needs:
Rural and farm families would benefit from a child
care system that was integrated. Child care, education
and development initiatives such as nursery schools,
Mom's and Tots, parenting resource centres, prenatal
and early start projects, need to be integrated.
This level of integration requires regulation,
legislation and funding mechanisms that allow
and promote coordination at both the policy and
service delivery levels. Targeted programs do
not work in rural areas as they generate social
stigma and lack community acceptance.
Reduced rural populations in
some parts of Canada are another factor that speaks
to integrating programs and services, in order
that the programs become both available and financially
sustainable. By broadening the accessibility for
more types of child care arrangements along with
an examination of broadening the subsidy eligibility
for such programs, the needs in rural areas could
more adequately be met.
The Canadian Agricultural
Safety Association should include integrated child
care services for rural areas in a lobbying strategy
as a recommendation that speaks to both availability
and financial viability.
Community driven: With-in
policy frameworks and established guidelines the
design of childcare environments, the allocation
of resources, and the delivery of services and
programs should have some flexibility in order
to meet community needs.
(b) What can be done
to address the broader issue of Rural Child Care
and Child Development:
Today there is a strong research
base and body of evidence indicating that healthy
child development is fundamental to the well-being
of society. "Early childhood experiences influence
overall health, competence and well-being for
the rest of a person's life."(7)
A key factor in healthy child development is secure
attachment to nurturing adults who provide caring,
support and affection early in life. "Parents
and families provide the primary social support
network for children, and such support promotes
well-being, increases the use of effective coping
strategies and decreases stress. An effective
strategy for healthy child development would enhance
parental capacity in these areas."(8)
"Children who have received
good care, whether at home, by significant caregivers,
or through formal child care arrangements, have
greater social competency, higher levels of language
development, higher developmental levels of play,
better ability to self-regulate and fewer behavior
problems in grade school, than those who have
experienced lower quality care."(9)
Success in school for children is influenced by
how prepared they are, to be ready to learn and
interact socially.
Another significant factor for
healthy child development is the neighborhood
and community. "Communities provide children and
families with social support in the form of belonging,
stability and continuity. Within the community,
children meet other children and adults who help
them develop trust, autonomy and initiative."(10)
The growth of knowledge in the
area of early brain development has increased
public awareness of the importance of the early
years. Studies using the Early Development Instrument
to assess readiness to learn in school have found
that the community resources with the greatest
relevance for early child development are: quality
child care, family resource centres, parenting
support/parenting classes, public library, toy
library, and literacy programs.(11)
The area of early brain development
has also identified that there are specific windows
of opportunity during which the most development
takes place. From pre-conception to age 5, children
develop language skills, the ability to learn,
to cope with stress, to have healthy relationships
with others, and to have a sense of self. Failure
to provide good conditions for development during
this time makes the developing brains of children
who did not benefit from these conditions physically
different from those children who have been well-nurtured.
This can have lifelong consequences for their
health, well-being and coping skills.
Research on the quality of child
care has emphasized the importance of three factors:
low child-to-care-giver ratios, highly educated
staff with specialized training, and the availability
of a safe and stimulating environment. Research
also indicates that early childhood development
programs must incorporate three basic components:
early childhood education, child care and parenting/caregiving
support and meet the needs of parents who are
at home as well as those who participate in the
paid labour force.
Recommendations to be
considered regarding the child development issues:
1. Develop a strategy
to reach farm and rural families with information
about the new brain research and the implications
of this information for the well being and future
of their children. The members of the
rural child care committee will have suggestions
as to how this can be best achieved, whether through
a national communications strategy or an information
framework that could be utilized in each province.
2. Share rural community
models that have successfully merged child care,
child development programs for parents, and socializing
and educational opportunities for children not
requiring full time care.
3. Outline a consultation
document relating to the need in rural and farming
communities for flexible child care and the opportunities
for parenting knowledge and support, that could
be distributed through the Canadian Agricultural
Safety Association to partner associations interested
in agriculture and rural areas.
Some level of consensus regarding
the need for increased child care spaces, flexible
enough to meet the needs of rural Canadians, as
well as the right of these families to access
the latest research and knowledge regarding early
child development and parenting, will be required
in order to convince governments to respond. The
Federal Governments' National Children's Agenda
will be providing additional dollars to the provinces
for increased services to children. If farm and
rural families in each province had a position
paper with which to lobby,their needs would more
likely be considered. The timing is excellent!
(see Appendix 1, for an example of a similar document)
References:
Abbotford Community Services
Seasonal Workers Project, (2000). Breaking
Ground, A Discussion Paper on Alternative Childcare
Models for BC's Seasonal Workers
Brockman, L. M. (1994). Child
Care and Child Safety for Farm Children in Manitoba,
The Rural Development Institute, Brandon University
Basran,G. S., Gill, C., MacLean,
B. D. (1995). Farmworkers and Their Children,
Richmond, BC.
Canadian Child Care Federation,
(1995). Towards Excellence in ECCE Training
Programs, A Self-Assessment Guide, Ottawa,
ON.
Child Care Resource & Referral
Program Symposium: (1999, February 23-25). SHARING
THE LEARNING: Research - Policy - Practice,
Rural Child Care Special Focus Group, Richmond,
BC.
Federal-Provincial-Territorial
Council of Ministers on Social policy Renewal,
(1999, May). A National Children's Agenda,
Developing A Shared Vision, Ottawa, ON.
Federal, Provincial,Territorial
governments, (1999) Public Dialogue on the
National Children's Agenda Developing a Shared
Vision, Ottawa, ON.
Goelman, H., Doherty, G., Lero,
D., LaGrange, A., Tougas, J., (2000, September).
You bet I CARE! Child Care Centres in Canada,
Centre for Families, Work and Well-Being,
University of Guelph, ON.
Gott, Carol, (1997). Lessons
Learned.Roads Travalled, Mobilizing Communities
for Rural Child Care, Bruce Gray United Way,
Dundalk, ON.
Hertzman, C., (Vol.1, no.2,
2000). The Case for an Early Childhood Development
Strategy, isuma, Canadian Journal of Policy
Research, Ottawa, ON.
Janus M. and Offord D. (vol.1,
no 2, 2000) Readiness to learn at School,
isuma, Canadian Journal of Policy Research, Ottawa,
ON.
Lakeview Children's Centre,
C-FAN, Rural Child Care Farm Safety, Langruth,
MB.
Ministry of Social Development
and Economic Security, (2000, May). Child
Care for British Columbia, Victoria, BC.
Norrie McCain, M., Mustard,
J.F., (1999, April). Reversing The Real Brain
Drain, Early Years Study, Final Report, Ontario
Children's Secretariat, Toronto, ON.
Report of the Federal/Provincial/Territorial
Advisory Committee on Population Health, (March
1998), Building a National Strategy for Healthy
Child Development
Riddell, D., (2000, August).
Miami Children's Facility, Business Plan,
Miami, MB.
Saskatchewan's Action Plan for
Children Interdepartmental Steering Committee,
(1999, summer). National Children's Agenda,
Summary of the Saskatchewan Dialogue, Regina,
SK.
The Canadian Child Care Federation,
(Vol. 14, No. 2 and 3, 2000). Interaction,
Ottawa, ON.
The Journal of Early Childhood
Educators of British Columbia, (Vol. 15, No. 3,
2000). The Early Childhood Educator,
Vancouver, BC.
Tremblay, R. E., (vol.1, no
2, 2000) The Origins of Youth Violence, isuma,
Canadian Journal of Policy Research, Ottawa, ON.
Acknowledgements:
Canadian Child Care Federation,
Ottawa
Canadian Agricultural Safety
Association: Maura Gillis-Cipywnyk, Manager, Catherine
Vanstone, Chair, and members of the rural child
care committee
Child Day Care, Department of
Family Services and Housing, Manitoba
Child Day Care Division, Department
of Social Services, Saskatchewan
Child, Youth and Family Programs,
Department of Health and Community Services, Newfoundland
Community Services, Department
of Health and Social Services, Prince Edward Island
Early Childhood Development
Services, Department of Community Services, Nova
Scotia
Family and Community Services,
New Brunswick
Family Day Care Association,
Ottawa
Healthy Child Development Branch,
Ministry of Community and Social Services, Ontario
Lois M. Brockman, Ph.D., Senior
Scholar, Faculty of Human Ecology, University
of Manitoba
Marian Perrett, findings of
the National Coalition for Rural Child Care (no
longer active)
Ministere de la Famille et de
l'Enfance, Quebec
Ministry of Children's Services,
Alberta
Policy and Research Division,
Ministry of Social Development and Economic Security,
British Columbia
Westcoast Child Care Resource
Centre, Multicultural and Diversity Services,
Ruth Fahlman
1The
headings are taken from Issues and Challenges
as outlined for the SHARING THE LEARNING: Research
- Policy - Practice, Child Care Resource &
Referral Program Symposium: February 23-25, 1999;
Rural Child Care Special Focus Group, Richmond,
BC
2
Brockman, L. M. (1994) Child Care and Child
Safety for Farm Children in Manitoba, The
Rural Development Institute, Brandon University
3
Abbotford Community Services Seasonal Workers
Project. (2000) Breaking Ground, A Discussion
Paper on Alternative Childcare Models for BC's
Seasonal Workers
4
Abbotford Community Services Seasonal Workers
Project. (2000) Breaking Ground, A Discussion
Paper on Alternative Childcare Models for BC's
Seasonal Workers
5
SHARING THE LEARNING: Research - Policy - Practice,
Child Care Resource & Referral Program Symposium:
February 23-25, 1999; Rural Child Care Special
Focus Group, Richmond, BC
6
Abbotford Community Services Seasonal Workers
Project. (2000) Breaking Ground, A Discussion
Paper on Alternative Childcare Models for BC's
Seasonal Workers, pg.40
7
Report of the Federal/Provincial/Territorial Advisory
Committee on Population Health, March 1998, Building
a National Strategy for Healthy Child Development
8
Janus M. and Offord D. isuma, Readiness to
learn at School, Canadian Journal of Policy
Research, vol.1, no 2, 2000, Ottawa, ON
9
Abbotford Community Services Seasonal Workers
Project. (2000) Breaking Ground, A Discussion
Paper on Alternative Childcare Models for BC's
Seasonal Workers
10
Abbotford Community Services Seasonal Workers
Project. (2000) Breaking Ground, A Discussion
Paper on Alternative Childcare Models for BC's
Seasonal Workers
11
SHARING THE LEARNING: Research - Policy - Practice,
Child Care Resource & Referral Program Symposium:
February 23-25, 1999; Rural Child Care Special
Focus Group, Richmond, BC
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