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SARNIA, Ont. – Front line child care workers are urging Lambton County council’s standing committee to reject senior management’s proposal to close Coronation Park Day Nursery. The 38 early childhood educators (ECEs), cooks, maintenance and clerical staff that operate the highly- popular and in-demand county-operated day care centre are represented by the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE).
“Our elected officials must show leadership and invest in public services that matter to our community,” says Mary Aikin, president of CUPE 2926. “Coronation Park Day Nursery is a top- notch, high-quality child care centre with a long waiting list for families wanting their children to have the best start in life.”
“Instead of truly recognizing the importance of the program and the impact the day care centre has on the lives of children and families in the community, management is recommending to close the day care centre,” warned Aikin. “Surely there is another way to look at this. Perhaps our elected leaders will show true leadership by rejecting this proposal and, instead, invest in the future leaders of our community.”
Senior management, responding to a request by the county’s standing committee for a report on the day care centre operating with a deficit, will present their recommendation to the committee on Wednesday, April 16 – to close Coronation Park Day Nursery program. The centre serves 100 children in the main day care program and 69 children in before- and after-school programs.
“A report with only one recommendation raises more questions than answers,” said Aikin. “The County must meet and discuss the value of a county-operated child care centre with the public, the parents and the workers, to determine what the true needs of the community are and how best to meet those needs.”
“A high-quality and publicly-operated child care program, like Coronation Park, delivers benefits way beyond dollars and cents. The dividends of the County’s investment bring broad social benefits not only for the future of the children, but also for our community,” concluded Aikin. “We are encouraging the parents and our community to call their county representatives and ask them to show vision by rejecting the closure of Coronation Park Day Nursery and invest in our community’s future.”
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For more information, please contact:
Mary Aikin, President of CUPE 2926, 519-330-3465
Brian Humphrey, CUPE National Representative, 519-433-1754
James Chai, CUPE Communications, 905-739-3999
