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CHAMPLAIN TOWNSHIP PARENTS PROTEST DAYCARE SETUP CHANGE
CHRISTOPHER SMITH christopher.smith@eap.on.ca
Champlain Township parents are left reeling after an announcement that the township will no longer offer daycare services. For 40 years, Champlain Township has offered daycare services to working parents, utilizing space leased from the Conseil scolaire de district catholique de M&TUPOUBSJFO $4%$&0 BUOPDPTU/PX though, the township is ridding itself of the responsibility and transferring the childcare services offered at Saint-Grégoire Catholic &MFNFOUBSZ4DIPPMJO7BOLMFFL)JMMBOE4BJOU +FBO#BQUJTUF$BUIPMJD&MFNFOUBSZ4DIPPM JO-0SJHOBM The L’Association francophone à l’éduca- UJPOEFTTFSWJDFTÆMFOGBODFEFM0OUBSJP "' 4&0 XJMMBTTVNFBMMPQFSBUJPOTTUBSUJOH PO+BOVBSZ %VSJOHUIF$PNNJU - UFFPGUIF8IPMFNFFUJOHPO0DUPCFS residents attended en masse to question the language, the staffing, and the reasons behind the situation. Several questions were forwarded from a previous meeting on September 28, including whether the new provider will offer a fully bilingual service, whether there will be a transition plan in place for bilingual fami- lies, and whether the transfer of services could be postponed until such a plan is in place. Parents also wanted to know what the approach will be for special needs children at the St-Gregoire daycare. $4%$&04VQFSJOUFOEFOUPG#VTJOFTTBOE Treasurer Martin Lavigne said that delaying the transfer wouldn’t be an option, as the "' 4&0JTSFBEZUPMBVODIUIFTFSWJDFJO +BOVBSZ BOENJHIUOPUCFXJMMJOHUPXBJU)F assured everyone that no child will be left behind and that every attempt will be made to hire bilingual staff for the day care centre. Language barrier Parents were concerned that anglophone
Le Conseil du canton de Champlain a entendu les préoccupations des parents lors du transfert des services de garde d’enfants. -photo du site
staff would lose their jobs due to the bilingual requirement. Lavigne said that in similar situations, almost all former staff that reap- plied were hired back, but the final staffing decisions are up to the provider. “If the second language is French, they are welcome to apply, even if it is not the greatest French in the world,” Lavigne said. Parents were also concerned that documentation would only be available JO'SFODI QSFTFOUJOHBCBSSJFSUP&OHMJTI parents. Lavigne said that the French-lan- guage Parent Guide would be explained in &OHMJTIUPQBSFOUTBUBTQFDJBMNFFUJOH JG OFDFTTBSZ8BSE$PVODJMMPS1BVM NJMF %VWBMQPJOUFEPVUUIBUUIFUPXOTIJQIBE always been encouraging of bilingualism, and said that, “If we sign up with you, we would like to have the note to parents sent JO&OHMJTIBOEJO'SFODIu But Lavigne said that bilingual documen- tation hasn’t been the position of the board, and that it would ultimately be up to the service provider to decide. “The school board is not saying no,” he said. “Some of our schools provide certain documents in both official languages.” Lavigne noted that he had personally
called the childcare agency and confirmed that non-French-speaking families wouldn’t be left behind just because they don’t speak the language. i8FIBWFPUIFSDPNNVOJUJFTTJNJMBSUP 7BOLMFFL)JMMBOEIBWFUIFTBNFDPOUSBDUJO UIF$PSOXBMMBSFB UIFZTQFBL&OHMJTIBOE there is nothing that prevents the use of &OHMJTI u-BWJHOFTBJEi8FKVTUXBOUUPNBLF sure they are exposed to the other language. So far as reassurance, they shouldn’t be TDBSFEPGUIFOFXTFSWJDFT8FXJMMNBLF it easy for parents and a nice place for the kids.” Disciplined for English? Parent Steve Beauchesne said that it’s SVNPSFEUIBUTQFBLJOH&OHMJTIJTBDUJWFMZ discouraged at the daycares, and that one teacher has proof of being disciplined for TQFBLJOH&OHMJTI)FXPOEFSFEJGDPVODJMIBE DPOTJEFSFEUIFQPTTJCJMJUZPG&OHMJTITQFB - kers moving away if the situation became too hostile. “Can we at least request that children be spoken to in their own language until parents have had the chance to move their child to a service that is truly bilingual?” Lavigne said he couldn’t address the issue at this time, but he did comment that bilingualism is developed at an early BHF.BZPS/PSNBOE3JPQFMTBJEUIBUUIF QPTTJCJMJUZPG&OHMJTITQFBLFSTMFBWJOHIBE never crossed his mind. Surprised and upset 7BOLMFFL )JMM $PVODJMMPS 1FUFS #BSUPO commented to Chief Administrator Kevin Tessier on the rushed nature of the decision, saying it’s council’s job to ensure the public is well-informed of decisions of this magnitude. “I think it was a surprise and disappoint- ment to our community,” Barton said. “The idea of moving away from day care is a public issue and should have been discussed publi- cly,” he said. “I understand that there were parts that had to take place in camera, but I think the conversation should have been held in a public forum.” Parent Krista Tollis Skinner agreed, saying that she attempted to submit a proposal for a delegation and had been denied. She also pointed out that 4 p.m. wasn’t an easy time for parents to attend a meeting that DPODFSOFEUIFJSDIJMESFO BTCPUIUIF0DUPCFS 12 and September 28 meeting started at 4 p.m. Tessier said that the decision to hold the meetings in private was up to council. Undoing what’s been done Skinner asked whether the transfer of services could be cancelled, a possibility mentioned during the September 28 mee- ting, and whether that was a council or
school board decision. Tessier said that council decided the township will no longer offer daycare services, and everything else is up to the school board. -BWJHOFTBJEUIBUUIF$%4$&0JTPOMZJOUF - rested in long-term business partnerships, and that the township has already expressed its disinterest in continuing the arrangement. Skinner asked if a long-term commitment of 10 or 20 years would change the school board’s mind and prompt them to accept the township back as a provider. Lavigne said he’d have to present that to the board for a decision. .BZPS3JPQFMTUBUFEUIBUSFWFSTJOHUIF decision and offering daycare services again isn’t something the township is considering. It projected a $1.7 million loss over the next four years if it continued managing the service, a hefty burden to taxpayers. )FBTLFEQBSFOUTUPHJWFUIFUSBOTJUJPOB chance, and that it might turn out much better than they were dreading. A bad first impression Skinner said that their dread was justified, and that the September 28 meeting had left a bad taste in everyone’s mouth. She said parents’ concerns seemed to have been brushed aside, and it seemed like the general manager was laughing at them. i8FXFSFUSFBUFEXJUIVUUFSEJTSFTQFDU u she said. “I know there is a saying that you can never make a good first impression twice,” Lavigne said. “I think they were not prepa- red for that meeting and that a lot of the concerns are stemming from that night.” Tessier said that another meeting with parents would likely be organized. Parent Krista Tollis Skinner had many concerns to address in front of council. — website photo
LANCEMENT DE LA CAMPAGNE HABITS DE NEIGE 2023
GREGG CHAMBERLAIN gregg.chamberlain@eap.on.ca
Les derniers jours chauds de l’automne sont presque terminés et les vents froids de novembre vont bientôt suivre. C’est le signal du lancement de la campagne Habits de Neige de cette année. %FVYBHFODFTMPDBMFTEFTFSWJDFTTPDJBVY unissent à nouveau leurs forces pour s’assu- SFSRVFDIBRVFFOGBOUEF)BXLFTCVSZFU des environs soit habillé chaudement pour sortir et jouer pendant l’hiver. -B.BJTPOEFMBGBNJMMFEF)BXLFTCVSZ et le Groupe Action pour l’enfant, la famille FU MB DPNNVOBVUÊ EF 1SFTDPUU3VTTFMM entament leur 17 e campagne annuelle )BCJUTEFOFJHF BàOEFGPVSOJSEFTIBCJUT de neige aux familles dans le besoin ayant des nourrissons et des enfants entre l’âge de 1 et 12 ans. Le restaurant Carole organisera son petit-déjeuner annuel de collecte de fonds pour le projet le 8 novembre, de 7 h 30 à midi. Les personnes et les groupes qui souhaitent soutenir le projet peuvent éga- lement consulter le site web du Groupe
Action à l’adresse www.groupeaction.ca pour obtenir des informations sur la manière de faire un don. Les détails sur la date de distribution des habits de neige et la façon de s’inscrire pour en recevoir un sont également disponibles BVQSÍTEF(SPVQF"DUJPOTVSTPOTJUF8FC ou en téléphonant au 613-632-6959. Nathalie Wolfe, one of the people involved in the annual Habits de Neige Snowsuit Campaign, displays a couple of the snowsuits that will be distributed later in the season to families with small children who need something warm to wear so they can play outside during the winter. —photo Gregg Chamberlain
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