Dear Planet;

The other day, upon sitting down to take a
pee, | noticed a little sticker on the door of the
stall: “| support Daycare at ECCAD”. What a
thoughtful and validating action, | thought, and
silently thanked the woman who'd put it up. |
checked the other stalls. The wording changed
slightly, but the message was the same. In the
last stall, someone had defaced the sticker with
the words, “YOU DID DICK”. Dick?! What an
ugly word.

There are a couple of reasons | decided to
write this article. One is that often people ask
me, “So what's happening with daycare?” |
never know what to say because so much is
being done, yet not enough. It is a very
complicated issue and | don’t have all day to
explain, so I’ll attempt to summarize the progress
we've made and the issues we’re dealing with in
the following article. The second is because of
my distress at the few, but almost violent,
negative responses that are beginning to emerge
from the student body. Intolerance is always a
rude awakening.

The Daycare Action Society is made up of people
from most facets of the college community.
Although most of us in the Society are students,
we have members from the support staff, the
administration as well as
support from the faculty.
Although we realize that
depending upon the group
we belong to and our socio-
economic status, we have
different childcare needs.
Within the society we do
not divide ourselves along
the lines of student/
employee. We have a
common goal, a common
cause and we work
together very well, merging
our skills and resources.

One of the first things
we did upon forming a
committee was to look at

why a daycare had not

children are kept out of institutions like ECCAD
altogether because of circumstances such as the
lack of adequate, affordable childcare.

The second reason we looked at was that
no one in the past had gone ahead and done the
necessary work to set up a daycare. People had
simply complained to the administration about
the lack of childcare facilities. We decided that
we would do the research, find out about
funding, etc. and then go to the administration
with a comprehensive and realistic daycare
proposal. We would also form a non-profit
society to run the daycare, so the ECCAD
administration would not have to add more work
to their loads and would not be financially or
otherwise liable or have the power to make
daycare policy or run the centre.

We surveyed the school’s daycare needs,
researched at community daycare resources, met
with consultants, ECCAD administration, city
planners and reps, representatives from the
Ministry of Advanced Education and Training,
and someone from Granville Island Trust. We
made countless phone calls, sent away for
information, talked to the Ministry of Equality for
Women and held (and still hold) weekly
meetings. We wrote a constitution, waded
through piles of forms and red tape, and became
an official Non-Profit Society with a group of five

i Q) |
I
' a _ | 2 of fs >|
wouldn’t hurt, t -| r— | Nie
' \ | { !
One of ou | aS \| i, a
\ ae \ {
more child posit es ea ‘2 \M,

provide a highchair in the cafeteria and at least
two change tables in the washrooms (one in the
men’s and one in the women’s). They
responded very well to these requests. A
highchair is now in the cafeteria and change
tables are soon to arrive in the two washrooms
right outside of the cafeteria.

In Vancouver, it is almost impossible to find
infant care (0 - 18 months) and very difficult to
find toddler care (18 months - 3 years).
Childcare for children over three is far more
prevalent and the waiting lists are much shorter.
It is for these reasons that we are emphasizing an
infant/toddler care centre at ECCAD. Infants and
toddlers are often being breast-fed, and it is very
important to the health of children that this
continues as long as possible. The World Health
Organization endorses breast-feeding for four
years. Because of the stage of development of
infants and toddlers, it is emotionally very
important both for the mothers and the infants/
toddlers to be in close vicinity to each other and
have as much contact as possible. None of this is
possible without on-campus childcare.

Money is not what is hindering a childcare
facility. Money and funding is available. The

=, problem is space. With
wy talk of the cafeteria
\ expanding, the
| creation of more office
space, and a larger
library, | wonder where
the priorities lie -

Pa. a

perhaps in the wrong

hay

places?
In a civilized

\4
.. >!

society children are
treated with the great
respect and love that
they deserve. They are
realized to be the most
important cultural
resource; the future. It
is interesting how, in

our society, we keep

been built in the past and

why plans for one was not included in the new
building. The main reason is the same one which
keeps this issue and the issue of discrimination
against primary caregivers (usually mothers) from
being aired in most aspects of our society.
Primary caregivers and single parents are too
exhausted and overworked to lobby for their
rights. Also, most primary caregivers of small

i

first directors.

The ECCAD administration has been quite
positive. Brad Campbell in particular has spent
much of his time discussing the feasibility of this
issue with us. The administration seems to be
putting forth an honest attempt to fit a daycare
into the scheme of things at ECCAD. A bit of
supportive pressure from the student body

aki yamamoto Children outside of
adult life and the functioning of our society. We
either keep them trapped at home with an
equally trapped mother, or we coral them into

groups which are kept out of our sight

Mielle Chandler,2nd year student

Dear Planet;

‘The other day, upon sitting down to take a
pee, | noticed a little sticker on the door of the
stall: “I support Daycare at ECCAD”. What a
thoughtful and validating action, | thought, and
silently thanked the woman who'd put it up. 1
checked the other stalls. The wording changed
slightly, but the message was the same. In the
last stall, someone had defaced the sticker with
the words, “YOU DID DICK”. Dick?! What an
ugly word.

There are a couple of reasons | decided to
write this article. One is that often people ask
me, "So what's happening with daycare?” 1
never know what to say because so much is
being done, yet not enough. It isa very
complicated issue and | don’t have all day to
explain, so Ill attempt to summarize the progress
we've made and the issues we're dealing with in
the following article. The second is because of
my distress at the few, but almost violent,
negative responses that are beginning to emerge
from the student body. Intolerance is always a
rude awakening,

The Daycare Action Society is made up of people
from most facets of the college community.
Although most of us in the Society are students,
we have members from the support staff, the
administration as well as
support from the faculty.
Although we realize that,
depending upon the group
‘we belong to and our socio-
economic status, we have
different childcare needs,

Within the society we do
not divide ourselves along
the lines of student/
employee. We have a
‘common goal, a common
‘cause and we work
together very well, merging
ur skills and resources.

One of the first things
we did upon forming a
‘committee was to look at
why a daycare had not

children are kept out of institutions like ECCAD
altogether because of circumstances such as the
lack of adequate, affordable childcare.

‘The second reason we looked at was that,
no one in the past had gone ahead and done the
necessary work to set up a daycare. People had
simply complained to the administration about
the lack of childcare facilities. We decided that
‘we would do the research, find out about
funding, etc. and then go to the administration
with a comprehensive and realistic daycare
proposal. We would also form a non-profit
society to run the daycare, so the ECCAD.
administration would not have to add more work
to their loads and would not be financially or
otherwise liable or have the power to make
daycare policy or run the centre.

We surveyed the schoo!’s daycare needs,
researched at community daycare resources, met
with consultants, ECCAD administration, city
planners and reps, representatives from the
Ministry of Advanced Education and Training,
‘and someone from Granville Island Trust. We
made countless phone calls, sent away for
information, talked to the Ministry of Equality for
Women and held (and still hold) weekly
meetings. We wrote a constitution, waded
through piles of forms and red tape, and became
an official Non-Profit Society with a group of five

wouldn’thurt, |.) )- || |
‘One of ov i, @

more child post J _} (LJ (J UY)
provide a highchair in the cafeteria and at least
‘two change tables in the washrooms (one in the
men’s and one in the women’s). They
responded very well to these requests. A
highchair is now in the cafeteria and change
tables are soon to arrive in the two washrooms
right outside of the cafeteria.

In Vancouver,
infant care (0 - 18 months) and very difficult to
find toddler care (18 months - 3 years).
Childcare for children over three is far more
prevalent and the waiting lists are much shorter.
It is for these reasons that we are emphasizing an
infant/toddler care centre at ECCAD. Infants and
toddlers are often being breast-fed, and it is very
important to the health of children that this
continues as long as possible. The World Health
‘Organization endorses breast-feeding for four
years. Because of the stage of development of
infants and toddlers, itis emotionally very
important both for the mothers and the infants/
toddlers to be in close vicinity to each other and
have as much contact as possible. None of this is
possible without on-campus childcare.

Money is not what is hindering a childcare
facility. Money and funding is available. The
problem is space. With
talk of the cafeteria
expanding, the
creation of more office
space, and a larger
library, i wonder where
the priorities lie -

is almost impossible to find

perhaps in the wrong
places?
Ina civilized

society children are
treated with the great
respect and love that
they deserve. They are
realized to be the most
important cultural
resource; the future. It
is interesting how, in
our society, we keep

been built in the past and

why plans for one was not included in the new
building. The main reason is the same one which
keeps this issue and the issue of discrimination
against primary caregivers (usually mothers) from
being aired in most aspects of our society.
Primary caregivers and single parents are too
exhausted and overworked to lobby for their
rights. Also, most primary caregivers of small

first directors.

‘The ECCAD administration has been quite
positive, Brad Campbell in particular has spent
much of his time discussing the feasibility of this
issue with us. The administration seems to be
putting forth an honest attempt to fit a daycare
10 the scheme of things at ECCAD. A bit of
supportive pressure from the student body.

‘akiyamamoto children outside of
adult life and the functioning of our society. We
either keep them trapped at home with an
equally trapped mother, or we coral them into
groups which are kept out of our sight

Melle Chandler,2nd year student