45 Conversations Media & Education Ltd.

Early Learning & Child Care Consulting + Online ECE Workshops

Talking Child Care in Cranbrook with Sharon Cross

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Sharon 2014 683 KB picAs part of the East Kootenay Conversations On Child Care, I chatted with Sharon Cross who is a City Councillor with the City of Cranbrook.  Sharon has been an active volunteer since 1975 in many aspects of the community as well as in the broader East Kootenay region and internationally. She wants to improve the livability of Cranbrook on many fronts. 

Highlights from this Conversation with Sharon Cross

  • Licensed child care spaces that are being lost in the region.

  • The chronic shortage of early childhood educators in the East Kootenay Region.

  • How child care contributes to economic development within the region.

  • Various initiatives and programs in BC that support child care and why they are not totally working to solve the child care challenges in the East Kootenay region.

  • The challenges that families and employers are facing.

If you would like to chat further with Sharon Cross regarding child care issues in the East Kootenay region can reach her via telephone at 250-489-4412.

Talking Child Care in the East Kootenay Region of BC with Patricia Whalen

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Patricia Whalen

I’m talking about child care with people who live and work in the East Kootenay region of BC, Canada as part of the East Kootenay Conversations On Child Care. Recently I jumped into a Google+ Hangout with Patricia Whalen who is the Children First Manager for the region to discuss the Child Care Needs Assessment Project that is currently underway. Patricia has 4 boys and has been happily married for 24 years. We had a great discussion that covered a lot of different aspects of early learning and child care issues for the region.

East Kootenay Conversations On Child Care – Key Thoughts

Below are some key thoughts from Patricia Whalen –

Province wide; lack of child care has been a huge issue.

It (child care) affects the community as a whole.

When they (families) hear that the child care wait lists are huge they opt out of locating here.

Highlights from this #45Conversations Hangout

  • How the Child Care Needs Assessment project started – 1.04
  • About the East Kootenay region – 4.15
  • Families cannot locate into East Kootenay region due to child care issues – 7.00
  • About the Child Care Needs Assessment project & social media – 9.03
  • Starting the conversation – 10.40
  • Understanding the issues – 13.10