Surveys launched on child care in Whistler

The Resort Municipality of Whistler has launched two surveys on child care and are calling on parents, caregivers and current and potential child care providers to fill out the applicable survey and share their child care needs, experiences and insights to help create an action plan for child care for Whistler.

The surveys and information about the project can be found at www.whistler.ca/childcare

In January, the Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) and the Province provided a grant of $24,840 to the RMOW to conduct a child care needs assessment and produce a Child Care Action Plan. RMOW is conducting a community child care space inventory and are now conducting community engagement around child care to determine needs, barriers and trends related to child care in Whistler.

“With the significant growth our community has experienced in the last few years, it is well-known that child care is a huge struggle for many families in Whistler,” said Whistler Councillor Jen Ford. “We are very appreciative for this grant from UBCM and the Province to fund a child care needs assessment and produce an action plan to help provide direction toward more accessible and affordable child care options in Whistler. We know that the start of the school year is a busy time, but I strongly encourage families and current and potential child care providers to take the time to fill out this very important and detailed survey.”

The engagement results will be shared publicly in a report to RMOW Council later this year and a Child Care Action Plan that will be presented to Council by March 2020. The plan will help shape policy decisions and identify potential mechanisms to help address the demand for child care in Whistler.

“Child care is a complex, nation-wide issue in Canada, and communities like Whistler can look at what our specific challenges are, and what can be done locally,” added Ford. “A variety of factors impact child care from availability, wages and licensing for those who work in this sector, to spaces and cost of care. We are taking an evidence-based approach to reviewing the issue to help define potential areas where we can affect change.”

The Whistler Centre for Sustainability will undertake the surveys on behalf of the RMOW. The surveys will be available until October 20, 2019.