UPDATE: The Ministry of Children and Family Development has released a statement on the story. Scroll down to read more.
The parents who say their toddler died in an East Vancouver daycare last week are advocating for a reformed child care system in the province.
Shelley Sheppard and Chris Saini, the parents of 15-month-old Mac, say his death was “entirely preventable,” after the child was found dead inside a home in the area of Commercial Drive and Kitchener Street on Jan. 18.
The devastated parents released a statement to media on Thursday, saying Mac was a “happy boy that loved to laugh and play ‘jokes’ on Momma and Dada,” but they now have to come to terms with the fact that they’ll “never teach Mac to ride a bike, walk him to school or see him fall in love.”
They said the daycare Mac attended initially met all their checks.
“We did all the checks a diligent parent should do. We had lists of things to look for and questions to ask. We signed papers, we were given assurances and promises that made us feel like Mac would be safe and well cared for,” the parents said.
They are now hoping the tragedy will spur an overhaul of the daycare system. With a massive lack in daycare spaces, Sheppard and Saini are concerned that parents are being pressured into making hasty decisions at the expense of their children’s safety.
“Like most parents in B.C., we found the choices impossibly limited when it came to daycare spaces. Parents are rushed to take the one spot available and pressured into making decisions that may not work for their family.”
“The most precious and vulnerable members of our population aren’t able to tell us what is happening behind closed doors. We in B.C. need to know that when our children are away from us that they will not be harmed and that they are treated with care and respect.”
It’s a common occurrence in the province for parents to get on daycare wait lists before their child is even born, in hopes of finding a space. When they do, the fees can cost over $1,000 a month.
The parents say they are completely overwhelmed and “shattered” by their son’s death and will now be fighting for safe, accountable and affordable daycare in B.C.
Vancouver Police and BC Coroners Service are investigating the cause of Mac’s death, but are not providing any more details at this time.
The B.C. Minister of Children and Family Development, Stephanie Cadieux, released a statement Thursday night explaining how different types of daycares work in the province, while addressing the tragic accident.
“The death of a child is always tragic. It’s difficult to read a letter like that, and my heart goes out to this family for their loss. An investigation is underway by proper authorities and we hope the family receives some answers through this process.
Parents have a number of options when it comes to child care in B.C., including licensed, registered license-not-required, and unlicensed child-care facilities. Parents have the right to choose the option that works best for their families. To be clear, unlicensed, or license-not-required child-care operations, are not regulated through government the way licensed child-care centres are.
Government only funds licensed child-care spaces – 113,000 child-care spaces are funded throughout B.C.; local health authorities issue child-care facility licenses and are responsible for monitoring them, and registered license-not-required facilities are monitored by Child Care Resource and Referral Centres (through MCFD). For licensed spaces, we provide Child Care Operating Funding (CCOF) to the tune of $119 million each year to help child-care providers to cover day-to-day operating costs, help keep parent fees more affordable, provide fair salaries and maintain quality services. Low-income parents may also receive Child Care Subsidies to help with the cost of licensed child care each month – that program helps support approximately 20,000 children and their parents each month in B.C.”
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