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Advocates rally for child-care money [CA-SK]

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Author: 
Kayseas, Linda
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Publication Date: 
16 Jun 2005
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If we invest in our children now, the future will take care of itself, says a group of child care advocates that rallied in front of the Saskatchewan Legislature Wednesday.

About 200 people gathered to voice their concerns over the province's five-year child-care budget that will be announced in December.

"Who knew we would be pioneers? We are fighting like our sisters did for an education system for kindergarten to be universal," said Sue Delanoy, chairperson of the Saskatchewan Early Learning Child Care Coalition.

The rally was meant to demonstrate the importance of child care and that it is important that the government follow through with its commitments, said Delanoy.

"It's important that the Saskatchewan government recognize how much families need proper child care, regardless of which party is in power," said Delanoy.

Saskatchewan has been expecting this agreement for some time and this year's provincial budget made arrangements to increase operating grants to child-care centers by three per cent.

Delanoy recognized that the provincial government has made commitments in this year's budget. But she said the coalition wants to hear more than just promises and is calling for a whole new child-care system.

"Five hundred is great, but we have 168,000 under the age of 12 in the province, 110,000 working mothers and only 7,500 child-care spaces. Where are these children going to go?" said Delanoy.

- reprinted from the Regina Leader-Post