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WHITYFRPUERPESSn WE»NEBDY, APRIL10, 1991, PAGE 9 Government gants:angerprivate d,,ay ar wners By Maureen Quilan Whitby private day care owners and staff are outraged at recont govrn ment grant dove- iopments, and are ready to fight back for what they believe im rightful. The government decided to grant a $2,000 rais. for non- profit day car. empioyees.. «My tax dollars are go11 ta give someone 'a rais. for Joing- tsame job that someonele * do.. or$2,00les.,» eays Mar Làou Bortoluzizi, a member of thé United Voice, a new group made up of parents, employee and owners. The United Voice includes more than 50,000 voices. Their goal is ta "show the NDP govern- ment w. prîvate day c'are. Bnp- portèrs) won't curi up anddi." The. privato day care sector feels that they are being treated as second clans employees with the,.Uvernment's attempt at pay Pay equity ie generally toughit ta b. equal work for equalpa. Accrdngta the pay equity hotlnepay quiy m itbiasitua- tion means that the government is trying ta raise the salary value of chiid care careers. Private day cares are exa- mmned annuealiy by the' same officais who examine the non- profit day cares. Private day car.. must pass or exceed the samo standards. If a contre doeen't pans the inspection, thon it's foroed ta close. Private day care operators point ont that someý. private contres have higher léelres of education and supervision when comparod to the non-profit centres. Private operatars say they feel the government is trying ta make 'the privately run day car. an endangeredspecies. "W. the government) *are ineetd in providing funds ta no-profit services made avail- ble ta the publice,» says Phil Shaw assistant in communica- tion ior the Minisr for Com- munity and Social Services, about the grants., «No, we dont have a plan ta, have only non-profit day cares in the future. But the governinent is more int.rested in oncourag- ing the non-profit centrÈes,» says Shaw. Private operators- say that without a rais. for their own empioyeeu, the private contres will b.e foroed ta rais. fées and some. parents juet will not b. able ta coe with the increase. They'li have no choico but ta have their childron attend non- profit day cares. "I don't want ta choose an~ Tom, Dick or Harry day car.. chose Perry Houe. becauseI thought it wae the.beet for my children and I want -ta make that DiMauro. Private 0'erators say that net only will a f.. increase eliminate the choiceof the parent but day care'employees il bave ne choico as well. Some staff work for private contres because of p ast disagree- mente with pisychology and pro- grains'of t e non-profit day cares. Now they wili b. forced ta return ta those prograins and ghilosôphies they have left Private operatars also*wonder how many jobs are going ta be available in the non-profit field' fer ail of the unemployed cr merciai day car. staffY con If the grant is distributed as .plsnned, thiere ié goig to, be a flood for the non-profit day care market and the unempioyment lin., say private operatars. Owners of private day cares feâr thoy. could loe their bueinesses mi the iàear future because thoy can ne longer cern- pet. wili the governm entps "pay eqpi4 challenge. '3e$30 million that the governinent is giving the non- profit centres ie on y a down payment. What happens when they corne back for tliree or four instalments?» asks Amina Bha- loe, a member cf the Association of Day Car. Owners (ADCO). Zanana Mkande, Minister for Community -and Social Services, has listed several reasons for net including the commnercial sector in the grant, and thos. reasons were the focus of discussion at a recent meeting cf Whitby private day caro op.ratars and parents. Akande has said that if the money is given ta, thoeprivate sector, it would go straight inta the facilities. The private sector disagrees, saying that cf ail grants given ta com eial centres, 99.5 per cent has gene directly ta salaries and the extra o.5 per cent has gone ta administration conte such' as stamps and cheques. Akande has aIàse, stated that profit organizations do net; have parent involvement -- a dlaimi veéhemently denied by private centres. SThe profit organizations say that they jnst don't want te force parents te sp.nd time at the contre so0 they can reduce the amount of staff. «This is ail just humbug they're hiding behind,» says Bha- lec. During the meeting, when'the issue cf inadequate parental in- volvement was raised, parents openly expressed disagreement with Akande's observation. "Tlhes. are just excuses - from the government. -They want ta give everything away free cf charge, says Bhloo. It has abso, been stated that the private, organizations shonld receive theirpay-from the profits that they make. But mont day cares say ta rely solely on their profits is the imposeible dreain. They aiso say the extra costs cf rnnig a private day care, coste such as rent and taxes, that a CORPORATION 0F THE \~~TOWNOF WHITBY 1991 INTERUM TAX NOTICE The second instaiment of taxes for 1991 is due and payable April 15, 199 1. I= amn is not reoeived by the due date, penalty will be added on the fis a f default and the first day of each calendar month so long as non-payment continues, at the rate cf 1-1/4 per oent per month or part thereof. If you have flot received a tax bill and you are responsible for payment, please contact the Tax Department at 668-5803 to obtaun the necessary information. Taxes may be paid at any Whitby bank writhout bank collection charges, or at the Municipal Office, 575 Rossland Road East, Whitby, Ontaio. LYNN PIKE SUPERVISOR OF REVENUE have te deai with, are juet too, great.. We are net a governinent for amabi interest' groups but for people, conuitngah public ou s,$nai remier Bob eas said. But ta the people in the day care industry, the Premier does not seem ta living up ta hie promises. A suggestion that came up at the meeting wae that the govern- ment shouid buy eut aIl of the profit day cares. On. estimate is that such a ýlIan wouid cost the goveninent 700 billion. The. United Voice and the pro- fit day care organizations are ready ta take action. «We have ta make noise now. This je just the begi*ning,» says Bhaioo. Strategies are aiready being Plannead t:nd parents as weli as staf are beng encouraged ta join in. "W. need parent suppport. Tii. gevernment wiii listen ta parents bor. they listen ta ns," says Bhaloo. A petitan is boing sent around Durhamn Region, and the groupe are hopng for 7,000 signatures so that tho government wiii review it. Designated roups have aiso tried 'visiting Akande and other members cf the government but, thue far, «ail the doors have been closed.» But Shaw says the ministry has had several conversations with profit day care supporters and wiii continue ta do se. There are "aise groupe cf parents, staff and owners furi- SEE PAGE 17, 1 nutri/system 1 i % T% Valeo Draperies