Childcare at the University of Calgary: Situational Assessment

Transcription

1 vw Childcare at the University of Calgary: Situational Assessment August 2002 Associate Vice-President (Student Affairs) 1

2 Outline 1. Introduction 2. Key Issues I. Available Spaces II. Flexibility of Services 3. Current Status of Care I. Demographics II. Programming III. Space 4. What We Can Learn from Elsewhere I. Comparisons with Maclean s Schools II. Comparisons with School Boards III. City of Calgary IV. Fitness Facilities 5. What They ve Learned: Interviews with Directors I. Simon Fraser University II. University of British Columbia III. University of Manitoba IV. University of Alberta V. University of Guelph 6. Our Choices: What Kind of Childcare Do We Want? I. Policy II. Spaces III. Flexibility IV. Fees V. Reporting VI. University Support VII. Suggested Principles to Consider VIII. Priority Spaces IX. Facility X. Models for Staffing 7. Help For the Future I. Regulations for Alberta Day Care Facilities II. Regulations for Staff of Day Care Facilities III. Licensing Requirements IV. Subsidies Available 8. Appendix 2

3 1. Introduction Context of the Problem The student, faculty, and staff population of the University of Calgary community has been growing for over a decade, both in numbers and in terms of diversity. We have evolved into an institution that recruits increasing numbers of graduate students, international students, young professors and researchers who aren t here solely for the work they do in their fields. These people all bring with them needs that stem from the families and lifestyles they have. The University of Calgary is an institution committed to providing support for the families that make up this community, whether it be through on campus facilities, or referrals to off campus services that may better suit individual needs. One could argue that the place of childcare at the University of Calgary should also be changing. More and more young students and professionals are being recruited to study and work here, to bring their expertise to this community. It is becoming more important to have quality, safe, accessible childcare facilities to offer new members of the university community as a part of the system of support they are offered. The demand for use of childcare facilities on campus has surpassed the supply for over 15 years. The current waiting list to enroll children at UCCC is approximately 525 families long. According to a 1987 Senate report, there were more than 500 requests for childcare made by members of the University of Calgary community in 1986 (students, staff, faculty). The daycare spaces have increased by only 15 spots, leaving an increasing amount of unmet childcare need. Because the delivery of quality care is expensive, the cost of enrolling children at UCCC has increased dramatically over the past few years. Costs are extremely high relative to other childcare options, and there is no differentiation in pricing for students, staff, faculty, or community members. Recommendations have been made to introduce a sliding fee scale based on income to alleviate some of the financial pressures faced by these groups. The provincial and federal governments have also spent the last decade and a half eliminating the subsidies they previously offered to individuals and childcare centres that used to help keep the costs down. At the same time, the excellent programs and quality childcare workers must be retained in order to provide children with the enriching experience families expect to find on this campus. The balance between affordable childcare and quality holistic care is one that must be found and maintained at the U of C. With holistic care, there is a need to meet requirements in every age category from infants to six year olds, plus after school care for older children. There is also a distinct need for a more flexible offering of childcare services on this campus. U of C is known for offering some of the most flexible academic course times with Weekend University and a wide range of evening courses. The operating hours of the childcare centre should reflect this flexibility. 3

4 2. Key Issues The largest problem facing the University of Calgary with regards to childcare is the lack of adequate spaces within the day care centre on campus to meet childcare needs of the community. The second most recognizable issue is the flexibility of childcare on campus. I. Available Spaces There is a shortage of spaces in quality childcare programs within the city of Calgary. The need for more spaces in quality early childhood education settings is something that has been highlighted by professionals in a number of sectors over the past few years. The University of Calgary has done several different studies that have tied into childcare needs on campus within the last 25 years, all of which have pointed to an increased need for spaces within childcare centres on campus. In 1978 the University of Calgary Senate set out a task force to review the University Day Care Centre, having received concerns regarding the state of childcare on campus. Among other things, the report submitted by the committee recommended that there be an expansion of day care services on campus until the need is met. 1 Further, in reference to a 1977 Report on the Status of Women, an expansion of 200 spaces for the children of faculty is cited as a step in improving the access to quality childcare on campus. 2 A Senate task force struck in 1987 to review the recommendations of the previous task force, and assess the childcare needs of the campus at the time also found that there was a shortage of spaces within the childcare facilities on campus. 3 Turning to more recent publications that discuss the need for increasing the number of spaces within the current University Child Care Centre, the December 2000 Report of the Task Force on the Recruitment and Retention of Academic Staff cites childcare as a potential recruitment tool to bring new faculty to the U of C. It highlights the inability to assign preference to children of new recruits wishing to enrol at the centre as a weakness, and recommends an increase in capacity to accommodate the childcare demands on campus. 4 The more recently released Status of Women at the University of Calgary 2001: An Update on the Recommendations from the Women in the Nineties Report, lists childcare among the top five recommendations made by the committee. The highest priority selected by the committee in the section pertaining to childcare calls for a further expansion of day care services at the U of C. 5 The report alludes to the need to provide childcare facilities to service the Foothills hospital as well as the main campus of the U of C. 4

5 II. Flexibility of Childcare Services The University Child Care Centre is open from Monday to Friday, 7:30 am to 5:30 pm. There is only a slight window of opportunity to make late pick up arrangements in case of emergencies, and there is no chance for weekend or part-time care. There are also no places on campus that offers emergency care, in the case that a regular caregiver is sick, or there is a work emergency, for example. In addition, like most other childcare centres, UCCC does not allow even mildly sick children to attend the day care. A parent of a child with more than a slight cold must find alternate arrangements until the child is well again. These practices, while consistent with those of most childcare centres throughout the city and across the country, do not meet the needs of those involved in activities on a university campus. Class schedules for both faculty and students run from 8:00 am until well after 9:00 pm Monday to Friday, with Weekend University courses possible of taking up a full day on Saturdays. While the regular hours scheduled by the UCCC will benefit many users of the facility, most students and many faculty could benefit further under a system allowing part-time and more flexible care. A childcare centre that offered full-time, part-time, emergency, and individually scheduled care days would best fit the varied schedules that need to be accommodated on this campus. Both of the University of Calgary Senate reports on childcare recommend the development of a flexible range of programming and hours for the childcare centres servicing the campus. 6 The need for extended hours and more flexible, varied hours of childcare is identified as a high priority area within the Status of Women at the University of Calgary 2001: An Update on the Recommendations from the Women in the Nineties Report. This report also recommends that a drop-in program be made available for campus users, as well as the establishment of a care program for mildly sick children. 7 There are many considerations that must be made regarding the implementation of more flexible childcare services. The predominant reasons why so few successful drop-in and emergency care centers exist relate to the need for stability in the care of children, and the difficulty in predicting staffing requirements. These programs are costly to manage, and have high administrative requirements. There are also stringent licensing regulations and important staff to children ratios that must be met in order for a childcare center to operate properly. However, when these requirements are met, flexible care centers can be very effective at serving the needs of a community. These concerns and several options for more flexible care will be explored in greater depth in the Our Choices section of this document. 5

6 3. University Child Care Centre: The Current State of Campus Care The University Child Care centre (UCCC) is a privately run non-profit organization. The staff that work for the centre are early childhood education certified, and are often the top graduates from post-secondary programs. The ability to attract and retain these highly skilled employees is contingent on salary levels and benefits that the UCCC is able to offer employees. The retention of these individuals is necessary to provide children at UCCC with the highest quality, most comprehensive learning programs possible. I. Demographics There are currently 80 spaces at UCCC, distributed as shown in the following figure: Composition of allocated spaces at UCCC: Children of students, faculty/staff, and the community Community (14) Students (24) Faculty/staff (42) There are currently 425 families on the waiting list. Priority is given to siblings of current children, students, staff, and community respectively. Age breakdown is as follows: 6

7 Age composition of children at UCCC according ot categoires: infant (under 19 months), toddler (19 months - 3 years), and preschool (3-5 years) Infant (12) Preschool (48) Toddler (20) Fees are charged on a per month basis according to age, as seen in the following table. Rates are the same for children of students, faculty/staff, and the community: Age Fee Infant $950 Toddler $720 Preschool $620 II. Programming The UCCC focuses strongly on delivering high-quality, educational programming. The UCCC has a learning program entitled Thinking, Listening, Communicating, focused on the type of care and stimulation that works best for children. The program is based on the knowledge that the first four years of a child s life are crucial to the building of a solid intellectual, emotional, and social foundation. III. Space The physical space of the UCCC works very well in meeting the needs of the children. Because the childcare centre was a purpose built facility, there is adequate playroom, resting, and storage space for the children. One of the best features that is cited by other childcare professionals is the large amount of space able to be used for large muscle group motor skills. There are improvements that have been made to convert space into more useable areas such as the toy lending library in recent years. 7

8 4. What We Can Learn From Elsewhere One of the most important exercises in the review of a service such as childcare is a comparison with what happens at other similar institutions. It is also valuable to have an indication of what other arms-length governmental organizations provide their employees and clients in terms of day care services. This section looks at the Mclean s schools in the medical/doctoral category, services provided by the Calgary school boards, and what the City of Calgary offers their employees. The final section is comprised by a look at childcare offered by three different fitness centers in Calgary, to give us an idea of how some forms of flexible care are administered. I. Other Medical/Doctoral Universities When we compare ourselves to other schools in the Medical Doctoral category of Maclean s, it s easy to see where we stand on childcare. On the whole, childcare policy is something that many mid-ranked institutions largely ignore. The universities that are rated best in Canada generally provide the largest degree of support to on-campus or university-affiliated childcare facilities. There are exceptions to this, of course, with some mid to low range universities trying innovative childcare programs that are viewed largely as services to student families. Childcare Policy: The University of Calgary does not have a well-defined policy on the provision of childcare to students, faculty, or staff, but we are not alone in this. Although universities across the country have policies on everything from parking to smoking to leaves for political office, there are not any clear policies on childcare. The extent of childcare policy that exists within most of the Maclean s schools refers exclusively to childcare costs incurred when a staff or faculty member is traveling. Instead, most institutions simply have a default child care policy that is defined by the level of support the university provides to on-campus or university-affiliated child care centres. Ages/Spaces Provided: Provincial regulations in Alberta limit the number of children per childcare building to 80. Because the University of Calgary has one childcare centre on campus (UCCC), the U of C offers space for 80 children. While we are in the lower half of the Medical Doctoral category for number of spaces provided for childcare, the U of C compares fairly well in terms of offering childcare services to all age groups. Many universities have stopped providing childcare for infants because of the high cost associated with maintaining appropriate caregiver to child ratios in the infant rooms. 8

9 School Ages Spaces Provided University of Calgary Infant 6 years 80 Full Time University of Toronto 3 months 6 years 204 Full Time, 25 Part Time University of British Columbia 4 months 6 years 332 Full Time Queens University Infant 6 years 79 Full Time McGill University Infant 5 years 106 Full Time University of Alberta Infant 6 years 227 Full Time University of Western Ontario 18 months 5 years 150 Full Time, 84 Part Time University of Ottawa 6 weeks 5 years 49 Full Time University of Saskatchewan 6 months 6 years 66 Full Time McMaster University 18 months 5 years 63 Full Time University of Manitoba 2 years 6 years 63 Part Time, 20 Part Time Out of the 11 Medical Doctoral universities listed above, we rank 7 th in terms of spaces provided. UBC, which has the largest number of spaces, also provides some of the most comprehensive childcare services in this category. Mount Royal College here in Calgary provides 80 full time spaces for children aged 19 months 5 years old, and also provides 72 part time or half day spaces for children. Assistance/Funding Provided: Almost all of the institutions that we compare ourselves to provide some degree of support to the childcare facilities on campus, whether they are run by the university or contracted out to private companies. The level of support that the U of C provides to the UCCC is at the lower end when compared to other Medical Doctoral universities. School University of Calgary University of Toronto University of British Columbia Queens University McGill University University of Alberta University of Western Ontario University of Ottawa University of Saskatchewan McMaster University University of Manitoba Support Provided By University Space provided for $1 per year Space, occupancy, and some services Space, occupancy, maintenance, caretaking, and admin budget Space, occupancy, maintenance Pays rent to University; maintenance, caretaking provided by university Space, occupancy, maintenance, caretaking Not funded by University (only U childcare centre in province not funded by institution) Space provided Some services provided, level unconfirmed; centres run by GSA and SU Some services provided, level unconfirmed Space, occupancy, maintenance; other centre is part of department of Student Affairs At U of T, there is a part-time childcare centre that receives a $70,000 annual allocation from the office of Student Affairs in order to provide lower rates for students. This funding is given largely because the centre was built after 1993, which meant it did not 9

10 qualify for an operating subsidy from the provincial government. The University of Manitoba has two childcare centres, one that operates independently, and one that is part of Student Affairs and is for children of students only. The U of C provides less support to the UCCC than many other institutions provide to independent childcare centres on their campuses. MRC provides space, occupancy, and maintenance to the childcare centre, as well as accounting services. Provincial Support: Many of the provincial governments have policies that provide for substantial subsidies for childcare, whether it is funding for the centre directly, or subsidies that parents can apply for. Most of the other provinces provide more support for childcare in terms of direct subsidies than the Alberta government does. In Quebec, the provincial government gives a substantial subsidy to all childcare centres, to go along with their policy of charging $5 per day per child at all centres. Subsidies top up wages for staff and help to fill out programming budgets at centres. The provincial government of Ontario offers a subsidy for parents, and provides funding to centres built before 1993 through government programs. In BC parents government subsidies, and the staff of the centres are under the BC Government Services Employees Union allowing them to retain some of the best childcare workers in the country. Here in Alberta, families can apply for a subsidy for childcare, but the amount of even a full subsidy does not cover the costs of childcare at UCCC (or most other childcare centres) for a year. If students have a student loan, that amount (including the tuition amount they pay) is calculated in their income amount to determine whether or not they qualify for a subsidy. Other Universities: Two of the best university childcare programs are found at the University of Guelph and Simon Fraser University. These childcare centres offer quality programs and are fairly affordable for the campus community. Guelph s program consists of 109 spaces from ages 3 months to 5 years, and 75% of users must be from the campus community. At SFU there are 240 spaces for ages 3 months to 12 years, serving both the university and the community. School Ages Spaces Provided Simon Fraser University 3 months 12 years 240 Full Time University of Guelph 3 months 5 years 109 Full Time As far as support from their respective institutions goes, both Guelph and SFU are in admirable positions. At Guelph employees of the centre get all benefits available from the university and are considered to be university employees. At SFU employees of the childcare centres are members of the BC Government Employees Union, allowing them to receive high wages. School Simon Fraser University University of Guelph Support Provided By University Repairs, maintenance, insurance, salary and benefits for Executive Director and secretarial positions, playground equipment University runs program through Student Affairs; subsidies available through provincial government funding 10

11 Fees for childcare at Guelph are calculated at a daily rate dependent on age group and number of days per week a child is in the centre. At SFU there is a monthly rate dependent upon age, and families are able to purchase a meal plan for their children as well. Comparison of Fees: Many campuses have multiple childcare facilities that are run by separate independent groups, or departments, and therefore calculate their fees differently. The fees listed in the following chart are done on a per month basis, and are calculated based on the highest cost childcare centres on campus. School Infant Toddler Preschool Student Rates? University of Calgary Not available University of Toronto Not available UBC $40 less for infants, $15 for others Queens University Not available McGill University Plus $40/month program fee University of Alberta Unconfirmed UWO Unconfirmed University of Ottawa Not available U of Saskatchewan N/A Not available McMaster University Unknown Unknown Unknown Unconfirmed U of Manitoba N/A Full day, half day SFU Bursaries available University of Guelph Unconfirmed Mount Royal College N/A PT Not available Other Calgary Post-secondaries: As has been listed in some of the information and charts, Mount Royal College has childcare facilities that are comparable to the ones here at U of C. Two of the major differences are the fact that Mount Royal has a part time program for preschoolers, and that they don t take infants. SAIT offers a referral program for their students and staff, but does not provide on campus childcare 11

12 II. Calgary School Boards Calgary has two major school boards that use different strategies to address the childcare needs of their students. Calgary Catholic School Board The Calgary Separate School system has in place a program that is designed to support young teens that are pregnant or parenting. The Kara program is administered at three high schools within the city: Bishop Carroll, Father Lacombe, and St. Anne. The Kara program is designed to offer students pre and post-natal care options, help with decision making regarding parenting options, and to help keep parenting students in school. While there is support offered by 3 Teacher/Counselors, and the services of a nurse and a social worker, there is no on or off-site childcare offered to students through the Kara program. The nurse is available for consultations with students several days a week. There is one social worker who has a number of responsibilities within the program, but whose predominant role is to help students find appropriate childcare for their needs. The recommendations made for students are usually based mostly on proximity to school or the student s home. The program receives a small administrative operating budget to pay for salaries of the three Teacher/Counselors, resource materials, and part of the salaries of the social worker and nurse. The salary of the nurse comes from the Student Health Initiative Fund, and the social worker s salary is paid with the help of a community care grant. In addition to the Kara program, students in the Calgary Separate School System can access the childcare services provided through the Louise Dean Centre, run by Catholic Family Services (CFS). Calgary Board of Education Pregnant and parenting teens within the Calgary Public School System have only one option for childcare provided through the Calgary Board of Education (CBE). Pregnant teens are offered the option of attending the Louise Dean School during and for the remainder of the school year during which they give birth, or remaining at their home school. The school is designed to serve as a learning center for students during pregnancy, but has an onsite day care facility that serves infants and toddlers. Children are eligible for care once they reach six weeks of age, and can be cared for up to age 18 months. The care of children until they are 18 months is rare, as it is the policy of the Louise Dean Centre to help the student move back into her home school or home district. The children are cared for within the Dr. Clara Christie Learning Centre, a quality, licensed, subsidized childcare center provided by Catholic Family Services. Students are not guaranteed a place in the center for their children, but are assigned positions on a need basis after significant consultation with social workers, childcare team members, and school support staff. It is the highest risk students who are able to get their children in the 40-space centre. Students must apply for provincial low-income childcare subsidies 12

13 and pay fees to have their children in the center. The rates are $575/month for children up to 18 months of age, the full subsidy covers $475 of that cost. Parents must make up the additional $100 themselves. Students are also given the opportunity to help develop the programs within the center to meet their individual needs, and can access parenting training and child development courses. Funding for the Dr. Clara Christie Learning Centre comes from donations from the United Way, the CFS, and indirect funding from the school boards. 8 The Dr. Clara Centre is a non-profit childcare centre, and the employees of the centre are employees of CFS. There are several health services that the mothers can receive as part of their support program on a regular basis. A doctor, dental hygienist, nutritionist, and massage therapists are on site monthly, and a health nurse is there daily. CFS is planning to open a centre to care for preschool aged children for the school year. There used to be another major option available to parenting teens within this school system. Students could enroll in the Ernest Manning Parenting Program which incorporated parenting support systems with an on-site childcare program to help parenting students continue their studies within a traditional environment. Due to a lack of funding, this program was cancelled, and students use an outreach program that includes a referral service for childcare instead. 13

14 III. City of Calgary The City of Calgary has a childcare facility located on the main floor of its municipal building. The center has spaces for 62 children and services children aged 6 months to 5 years. The priority system in place for this center gives priority to employees of the City of Calgary, followed by children of employees of its associated employers, such as ENMAX. City Childcare Centre Created 13 years ago by City of Calgary as a benefit to employees; Result of combined efforts from the Mayor s office, the City Executive, employees, and unions Spaces 62 Ages 6 months - 5 years Eligibility/Priority City employees, associated employers Budget/City Support City provides space, plumbing, electrical, window coverings, flooring, interior paint, bathrooms Management Non-profit organization that reports to a Board of Directors; Board has spaces reserved for City and two of the founding unions Employees Drop-in/Part-time Hours Days External employees who carry City identification and can participate in some benefits, but are not considered core City staff If there is space for drop-in s they will accommodate; Part-time available if scheduling allows 7:00 am 5:30 pm Monday to Friday There is no preferential fee system place currently, but the childcare Board is currently reviewing the fee structure. City employees pay the same amount as ENMAX employees and community members, even though the City provides a portion of the operating budget for the center. The fee schedule for the centre is as follows. Age Monthly Drop in 0-19 months $685 $40/day months $585 $40/day 3-4 years $535 $30/day years $520 $30/day years $510 $30/day The center currently has a waiting list for spaces. 14

15 IV. Fitness Facilities Various fitness centers across the city offer a variety of childcare programs for their members. It is interesting to look at the way these programs are administered because in many cases fitness centers serve as a successful example of flexible drop-in care. In the case of the YWCA, there is a childcare center that started out as a flexible care facility but developed to meet the growing demands in Calgary s center for affordable, high quality, full-time care. YWCA Fitness on 5th This childcare center is licensed for 45 children, servicing children from infants to age 6. The center began as a facility that was open for drop-in care, required 24-hour notice, and charged hourly rates. In addition to these flexible services, the Y decided to open some spaces up to monthly care. The demand for centrally located, high quality, affordable full-time childcare has led the YWCA to become a full-time care center with a rather lengthy waiting list for certain age groups. The waitlist is predominantly for infants and toddlers, and is between 10 months to 1 year in length. When a space becomes available, the next family on the waiting list is called, and they have 24 hours to accept or decline the spot for their child. The center is funded through parent fees and receives some operating money from the YWCA. The budget of the center is approximately $200,000, with a large chunk of the funding coming from the sizeable United Way donation the YWCA receives annually. The only other subsidies that the center receives are for wage subsidies for summer students to run their summer kids camps. Age Monthly Fees Infant 18 Months $650/month 18 months 3 years $525/month Preschoolers $475/month The childcare center is managed directly through the YWCA. Employees of the Day Care are employees of the YWCA who receive benefits through the Y. All of the staff members of the Day Care are graduates of Early Childhood Education programs, allowing the center to run a comprehensive set of programs that are designed for ultimate early-year development of children. The children in the center go swimming weekly as part of their programming, and have access to the variety of facilities available within the Y at various times. There is no lunch program for the children, so parents are required to provide all of the day s food for their child before bringing them to the center. Edgemont Club World Health Club The childcare facility at the Edgemont World Health Club (formerly the Edgemont Club) is a center that operates as a child-minding center. This center functions more as a babysitting service for children of health club members, as there is no regular full-time care available. The licensing requirements for the center allow for more flexibility with staff to child ratios than traditional day cares, and restrict the number of hours a child can be left in the center. 15

16 The childcare facility accepts children ranging from infants to approximately 12 year olds, though most children tend to be under 10 years of age. The number of children the center can accept varies depending on the number and ages of the children in the facility, as well as the number of staff members working. Between the hours of 8:45 am when the center opens, and 3:00 pm, there are 4 staff on hand. In the evenings, there are only 2 childcare employees working. There are times when the center may not allow a child to enter until a child in a certain age group has been picked up. Children may stay at the center for a maximum of 2 hours. Ages of Children Maximum Stay Fees Charged Programs/Activiti es Notes Infant - 12 years 2 hours $3-$5 per hour, depending on age Gym and Swim activities, colouring books, toys, playroom No meals or snacks provided, parents must provide diapers for infants Employees of the center are employees of World Health Club and are afforded all of the benefits as other employees. While there is a core group of regular attendees at certain of each day, there are often new children and new combinations of children attending the center. This allows for children to participate in group activities within the center without the feeling of not belonging to the regular group. Parents are on site, and are easily able to be reached if there are any problems with their children, or if their child is having a difficult time adjusting to a certain group or activity. Fitness Plus This facility is licensed as a childminding facility. The maximum capacity for the facility is dependent upon staff to child ratios at any given time, and children can remain in care for a maximum of 2 hours per day. The facility is open only to members of Fitness Plus, and requires a one day advance booking for a space. There are occasions when a parent may phone in the morning to reserve an evening space. Ages of Children Maximum Stay Fees Charged Programs/Activiti es Hours of Operation Infant 9 years 2 hours $2 per child per hour, or a maximum of $5 per member 3 separate play areas for age groups, crafts room, gym space, toys, colouring books, some use of facilities Mon Fri 9:00am-1:00pm and 5:00-8:30pm; Sat and Sun 9:00am-1:00pm Employees of the center are employees of Fitness Plus, and are afforded all of the benefits as other employees. The centre is busiest in the summer and the parents are, again, on site, and available to be reached if there are any concerns with their children. 16

17 5. What They ve Learned: Interviews with Directors of Campus Childcare Facilities One of the things that is always interesting to know is where someone who is responsible for a successful, high quality childcare facility would start again if they were doing it all over. The Directors were asked to talk about what some of the vital aspects of their childcare program were, where they would start if they were redesigning their programs, what they would change about their programs and about the way they work with their universities, and what they would add if they could address another campus need. I. Simon Fraser University Must have increased administrative support before further expansion of program Physical layout is exceptional; each age group has a separate entrance making a 240-child program feel more intimate Ability to improve childcare program directly related to level of support from University Administration, especially department Director reports to Best way to keep center linked with University is for Director to be University employee Drop-in care was too disruptive for the children; it is difficult for any child to feel they belong in a group where all the others know each other There were very few things that the director of SFU s childcare center, Sheila Davidson, would change. The one thing that she did point to was the need for an increase in her administrative budget that she receives from the university. Various people at SFU put pressure on the childcare center to expand, but any further expansion cannot be properly administered without more funding for support staff to run the programs. The most positive comments Sheila made were about the physical layout of the center. At SFU, the day care is made up of 4 separate buildings, located in close proximity to one another. The west coast landscape is beautiful, and the milder climate allows for outdoor activities for the children year-round. The university and the day care society have maintained the buildings extremely well, allowing the purpose built facility from the 1970 s to remain a welcoming environment for children and their activities. Each of the 12 programs housed within the childcare complex at SFU has a separate entrance and a separate playground area. These separate spaces allow each program to have an individual feel for parents and for children enrolled in the centers. Even though the entire program accommodates 240 children, each family feels as though they re part of a much more personalized, individual, intimate day care of between children. All of the spaces are designed and decorated in a different enough way that children moving up in the age groups feel as though they re experiencing a new place, but are consistent enough to maintain a feeling of stability for the children. All 12 of the programs have a different focus, which allows parents to choose the one that best suits what they want for their child. 17

18 When asked if she would change anything about the way that the childcare society works with the administration of SFU, Sheila said that her current situation is very comfortable. The most important thing that she s found in her tenure has been that the ability to improve childcare services is directly related to how supportive the administration is of the day care concept. If the person that the Director of the childcare center reports to is supportive of the childcare center, of the idea of providing childcare on campus, and views it as a service, then the ability to create and maintain a positive atmosphere for children and employees will exist. If the department that the Director reports to is unsupportive, or does not view the childcare center as being an important part of campus, it will be difficult to improve on existing programs, maintain the most healthy of environments, or completely meet the needs of the campus. One of the best ways that Sheila listed for the Director to ensure that he or she remains close to the department they report to is for the Director to be a university employee. This ensures that the lines of communication will always be open, and that the Director is on par with the other heads of services on campus. The Director benefits by being able to use university services and fully participate in campus life, and the university benefits by having a Director with a stake in the campus. As non-profit societies, many day cares on campuses across the country (especially the more recently established childcare centers) can find themselves isolated from the daily activities on campus and from the decision makers. It is important to have one staff member to serve as the link between the institution and the service provided to students, staff and faculty. The childcare society at SFU is in the fortunate situation of being viewed as a campus institution because it has been there for so long. Many other campus childcare societies are in less comfortable positions on their campuses. SFU has two part-time programs within the childcare center, and has part-time spaces available within all 12 programs. One program is for toddlers, the other for preschool kids, and the need for part-time care in all age groups is growing. These programs are somewhat more challenging to maintain than the full time programs, simply because the administrators and schedulers have to match up families with different needs to fill all of the spaces. Although there is a requirement for an additional half-time employee to work with the part-time programs, the majority of the cost comes in space requirements. Children need to know that they each have their own space, so the part-time programs require more individual cubbies than the full-time programs. Day care aged children are particularly attached to their favourite things, and often need to have them at the center to remain comfortable and feel at ease. This leads to large accessible storage space requirements, and children of these ages do not like to share these spaces! The SFU Childcare Society previously had drop-in care options within the programs as well. However, this option was stopped within a few weeks of it being offered because it was not stable for the children. The programs within the childcare center are founded on ideas of growth, stability, and security. Bringing children into spaces, programs and situations they have never been in before, and then having the parent leave them there, led to disruptive behaviors and some very upset children. It is difficult for a child of any 18

19 age group to feel welcome when they first enter a group of children who all know one another. Children are taught to stay away from strangers, and then are dropped within a group of them. This went against the lengthy, intensive orientation policy the SFU Childcare Society had for every other aspect of their programs, and was thus dropped because it was too hard on the children and their parents. 9 19

20 II. University of British Columbia Childcare program must care for all ages in order to be sustainable Parent participation in programs is necessary for good communication and on-going support of the center Larger programs allow a center to be flexible enough to accommodate range of needs found on a university campus Exploring implementation of a drop-in care program linked to conferences and day-long seminars on campus Need to increase number of childcare bursaries for low-income student families The most important advice that Darcelle Cottons has is to make sure that a childcare program provides complete care for all ages from infants to school age children. This is the only way that she s been able to maintain a sustainable system. When there are a variety of age groups there is the ability to have the less expensive groups help subsidize the costly infant and toddler programs. When a program is just beginning, there are a few questions that need to be answered. How many children in each category must you have to be able to create a sustainable system? Darcelle recommends the following numbers to sustain a 15-child infant care program that is similar to the ones run at UBC. Ages Number of children Infants 15 Toddlers 30 Preschool 60 For every 4 spaces that exist in a 3-6 year old centre, 1 toddler space is partially paid for. At UBC, all of the programs contribute approximately $30,000 annually to the infant programs. Each child has approximately $3000 from his or her fees go to fund the infant centres. This practice is accepted at UBC because the majority of the children there go through the programs until they are school aged, so they benefit from the subsidy as infants, and help contribute to it as older children. How is a child going to move through the system as they get older? At UBC, as children approach the ages that they can move from infant to toddler programs, or toddler to preschool programs, it is important to have the families visit the different centres to choose the program that is best for the child. There is also a scheduling feat of having the space available for that child at the right time. All of this is accomplished through a large extent of parent involvement in the programming, and good communication between the childcare administrators and the families. This creates a family support system that enables parents to participate in the childcare centres any time that they wish, and helps create a mini community of families at the university. There are even times when the 20

21 childcare centre offers parenting classes and child development courses for families to participate in. The larger the system is, the more flexible the types of care offered can be. At UBC there are spaces for 332 full-time children within the on-campus facilities. This means that there is a great degree of flexibility possible in the implementation of part-time programs. UBC s childcare centres do as much as they can to accommodate full and half day requests for scheduling for their families. For example, when a couple who are both faculty members at UBC adopted an 18 month old child, the childcare centre was able to accommodate the pediatrician s advice for the couple to have the child in care only one day a week so that the parents would be able to bond with the child. In normal circumstances, children must be enrolled in childcare at least 2 days per week to keep their status, but the centre was able to make an exception in order to meet the special needs of this particular family. Although the UBC childcare centres do not currently offer drop-in services, Darcelle has been exploring the implementation of a drop-in program. Ideally, it would run as a benefit of Conference and Housing, the department that the childcare centre reports to. Parents attending conferences and seminars at the university or at the university hospitals would be able to drop their kids off at the childcare centre, pick up a pager in case of emergencies, and come back to get their child after their sessions finished. The costs for this service would have to be between $5-$7 per hour for it to be financially viable, and would hopefully help to offset some of the other costs within the childcare centre. UBC is also considering the implementation of a breakfast program to help accommodate some of the extended care hours that are requested. Parents would drop their children off at the centre early in the morning for breakfast, and then the childcare workers would walk them to their appropriate centre or school afterwards. This, like the drop-in service, would be run as more of childcare program rather than the care and education programs that the childcare centre currently runs. The cost to extend the hours of care within UBC s regular programs works out to approximately $14,000 per year per hour. Without additional funding and administrative support, the hours and scope of programming cannot be expanded. The one thing that Darcelle would change at UBC is the amount of funding that student families and lower income staff families can receive for childcare. UBC provides a few different types of bursaries for students that can pay up to $2000 of a student s yearly childcare fees. This money can be accessed for any licensed childcare facility, and is not limited to use at on-campus facilities. The other nice to have that she pointed to would be to be able to provide her staff with all of the benefits of university employees. Though the childcare workers are university employees, they aren t eligible for the same pensions and benefits as other university staff. 21

22 III. University of Manitoba Close relationship with Department of Student Resources Flexible part-time schedule maintained through careful attention to detail Important to have purpose-built facility One of the greatest things about the Playcare Centre at the University of Manitoba is its close relationship with the Department of Student Resources. Everyone on campus knows that the centre is there to serve the part-time and full-time childcare needs of students, and therefore view the centre as a vital service to the campus. The Director of the centre, Marlynn Raven cited one of the largest benefits of the centre is that employees there are also classed as university employees, so they are able to have a lower turnover rate than many other childcare facilities. The priority of the Playcare Centre is to serve the childcare needs of students. If the 20 spaces aren t filled by children of students, they are opened up to faculty, then to staff, then to members of the community, although children of community members will never be brought in for full-time care. The Playcare Centre has a very flexible part-time schedule available, which is why it works so well for students and faculty. Families can sign up for as little as one regular half day per week if that is what best suits them. They also offer emergency care within the facility, which is referred to as occasional care. Parents must call one day ahead of time to try to get one of 2 spaces that are usually available on a daily basis. The Director would like to see a facility with more natural lighting for the children in the Playcare Centre in the future. The space that currently houses the centre is in the lower level of a building, which means there are no windows and no natural lighting. It is one of the more important physical space requirements that she listed. She also mentioned that one of the good things about the space her centre is in is that it allows for a great deal of mingling among the age groups. This affords the younger children a chance to learn from some of the caring attitudes and attributes of the older ones. There are times when additional staff would be helpful at the Playcare Centre. The staffing budgets of childcare centres are often a bit too lean even with all of the government subsidies and university support that they receive. There is another childcare centre at the University of Manitoba. It is run by a non-profit organization and accommodates 2-5 year olds. 22

23 IV. University of Alberta Degree of choice and scheduling of programs must be available to parents Register as a non-profit organization with charitable status to qualify for all possible grants in Alberta Working to have childcare staff eligible for university benefits Need to serve full range of age groups in order to have sustainable system The University of Alberta has a very decentralized childcare program. There are 5 different centres (3 on campus, 2 off) that service the campus, each run by a different, independent childcare society. Currently, the U of A has struck a task force to review their childcare services, and will be releasing findings and a report within the next few months. For interviews, I have been able to contact the directors of two very different centres. U of A Hospitals and Community Childcare Although this centre has an enrollment that consists of 70% children of students, faculty, and staff, it is viewed as the centre least affiliated with the university. It is housed within the Hospital on campus, where it moved after being on campus for 20 years. This centre receives no funding from the U of A, not even in the form of rent relief like the other campus-based centres. Instead, it is the hospital that provides the childcare centre with a lower rent than the space the centre occupies is worth. This childcare centre is the only centre affiliated with the U of A that offers a full age-range of programs from infants to 5 year olds. The most important message that Director Sandy Bedzinski had, was that above all else, there needs to be a degree of choice available to parents when it comes to program needs and scheduling. Not every aspect of every childcare program is going to suit the needs of every family. The centre must be prepared and able to offer individual learning opportunities for its users. As far as scheduling goes, the U of A hospitals childcare centre offers mainly full-time spaces for children, but has a very interesting part-time scheduling policy. Each of the part-time members of the centre picks 10 days per month that they wish to have their child in the centre. This method requires a bit of juggling and works best with flexible staff members on hand, but ends up meeting the needs of several families within the centre very well. This part-time option is of course only open to a very limited number of users, but has come in very handy for a number of university employees and students. In Alberta, being registered as a non-profit organization that has charitable status opens the door for an additional subsidy for childcare centers. Sandy recommends seeking charitable status for this reason, as any additional funding can always help improve programming, pay more staff, or keep fees low. With the provincial government s policy of subsidizing only low income users of childcare facilities, without providing wage subsidies, or financial support for the centers it is important to be able to qualify for any grants that can be made available. 23